


Tricktober

by Kyarorain



Category: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-02 15:10:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 22,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16307525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyarorain/pseuds/Kyarorain
Summary: A collection of works written using Fictober/Inktober prompts.





	1. Poisonous

Lynne scanned the restaurant with her gaze. There was only one other table occupied as far as she could tell, and she was seated all the way at the far end in a corner. It seemed likely she would be able to have a quiet meal in peace. Though, it wasn't like she was completely alone.

"It's nice of you to keep me company. Sure makes dining by myself less lonely."

"Well, I just fancied checking out this new place." Sissel checked for cores then transferred himself to a scroll hanging on the wall. It sure was fun going from object to object and seeing what he could do with them. New places were always a source of excitement but he knew he had to be careful, especially after that time he had accidentally set a restaurant kitchen on fire.

"It's always exciting when a new restaurant opens up in town. I just had to come and check out this new Japanese restaurant."

"Was there really nobody you could have brought with you?"

"What are you talking about? I brought you, didn't I?"

"That's not really what I meant, but okay." 

"It's not like I never hang out with anyone, so don't go thinking I'm some kind of sad and lonely girl now, alright?"

"Hey, I didn't say anything of the sort."

Lynne picked up the menu and started reading it. "Oh my, they actually have blowfish here?"

"Hm?" Sissel saw the astonished look on the detective's face. "I have no idea what that is. I'm guessing it's some kind of fish, but how come you're so surprised?"

"I suppose you wouldn't know about it. You see, blowfish is poisonous. If consumed in the wrong way, it can be deadly to humans."

"What?!" (Why in the world would they serve something so dangerous here?) 

"In other words, if you order blowfish, you are literally putting your life in the hands of the chef." For some reason, Lynne was saying this with a broad grin on her face. "So, what do you say, Sissel? Should I go ahead and order it?"

"You'd better be kidding! Besides, poison works too slowly. I can only go back four minutes before a death." (I swear, this girl... I think she enjoys freaking me out sometimes.)

"Aw, I'm only teasing," Lynne said, emphasising her statement with a soft chuckle. "Hmm, maybe I'll go for the sushi. It's pricey, but, hey, I might as well treat myself once in a while."

"Sushi? I hope it's safe."

"It's just raw fish, rice and seaweed, it's fine. Some people don't like the idea of eating raw fish. You're a cat so you'd probably think it normal."

"Fish, huh. Hmm." Sissel lapsed into thought, searching through his memories. "Oh, that's right, I remember Yomiel taking me fishing sometimes. He would catch fish and give it to me. It was really good."

"Oh, that's nice. Yomiel treated you well, didn't he?"

"Yeah." (He went to all the trouble of getting that fish for me, even though he couldn't eat any himself. I think he appreciated being able to pass the time somehow anyway.)

"I'll have the six piece sushi selection and a side order of miso soup please." Lynne was speaking to the waitress who had come to the table.

Sissel, meanwhile busied himself by jumping from object to object. There were a lot of scrolls and ornaments hanging on the walls so getting around was a piece of cake. He took a quick peek inside the kitchen. There wasn't anything terribly interesting in there. "So that's the chef, huh?" Sissel thought back to the conversation about blowfish. "I wonder how he feels when he's preparing blowfish. Is he burdened with the knowledge of knowing he's got someone's life in his hands? I suppose I can relate. But unlike him, I can bring back the dead... under certain circumstances anyway." 

While Sissel was exploring, Lynne had taken a notebook out of her pocket and was poring over the pages. When Sissel had got bored, he came back over to her.

"What are you up to? Working on any cases?"

"Just going over some notes. We haven't had much happening lately, just the occasional robbery." Lynne rested her chin in her hand. "Murders don't happen all that often."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?"

"Of course. But, you know, I would love to one day work on a big case with Detective Jowd and Inspector Cabanela." Lynne's eyes started sparkling.

"Please tell me you're not actually hoping for someone to die."

"Hey, not all cases have to be murders, you know." Lynne looked a bit indignant. "Just what kind of person do you take me for anyway?"

(I should keep my mouth shut.)

"I can hear your thoughts too, you know." Lynne flipped through the pages of the notebook a bit more before putting it back in her pocket. She leaned back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling. "I wonder if I can become a great and famous detective someday."

"I don't see why not. You do seem to be a fairly capable detective." (Apart from the whole dying thing...)

"Once!" Lynne exclaimed. "I only died once!"

"And five times in another timeline."

"They don't count if they were in another timeline!"

Sissel decided this was not an argument he wanted to get into. Just then, the waiter turned up with Lynne's food. Lynne dived right in, devouring the food. Before long, the plate and bowl were clean. She rested back in her chair, rubbing her stomach with a contented expression.

"I take it it was good?" Sissel asked.

"Mmm, delicious!" Lynne said, smiling brightly. "But, you know, I wish I could have gone for the twelve piece selection. It's just a pity it was so expensive. I've got to be sensible with my money."

"I have to admit, it didn't look like a lot of food." (For her, anyway.)

"Hey, can I help it if I've got a hearty appetite? At least the miso soup helped fill me up." 

The waiter came back and Lynne paid for the meal. Sissel hopped back into the core on her purse and they left the restaurant together.

"Well, that was a nice way to spend the evening." Lynne looked up toward the night sky and its blanket of glittering stars, with a smile on her face. "I really do appreciate you coming along, Sissel. Thanks."

"No need to thank me. I'm happy to keep you company."

Lynne fell silent, humming quietly as she strolled along the street. She caught sight of a payphone and stopped. "Oh, right, I suppose you want to head home now."

"I guess I'd better. I don't want the little lady wondering where I've gone and worrying about me."

"Right, we can't go making Kamila worry now, can we?" Lynne approached the phone and Sissel hoped over. "See you later, Sissel!"

"Later, Detective." Sissel set off down the phone line, hurrying back home where his body would be hidden in a secure spot, waiting for his return.


	2. Tranquil

Alma signed her name at the end of the letter and folded the paper until it was small enough to fit into an envelope. She set it aside and lifted the cup of coffee to her lips, draining the remnants. Now that the chores were done, she decided to go upstairs and check on her toddler.

Kamila had gone down for a nap, worn out from playing with toys all morning. She was still fast asleep in her cot, curled up with tiny clasped hands resting by her face. The blanket Alma had laid on her had been partially kicked off. Next to her, a little black kitten was curled up. Sissel cracked open a single yellow eye, peering up at her.

Alma stood over the crib, struck by the tranquil scene of daughter and kitten slumbering peacefully together. When Jowd had brought the kitten home, she had been a little concerned, but he had assured her that there was nothing to worry about and she knew that he was right.

"You're watching over her, aren't you?" Alma leaned in, speaking in a soft whisper.

Sissel opened both eyes and raised his head, opening his mouth to let out a soft mew. Alma was certain that it was a mew of confirmation. She had a feeling that this kitten was able to actually understand people somehow.

Kamila stirred, throwing out an arm. Her fingers brushed against Sissel's soft fur. She remained deep in slumber however.

Alma stepped back, her gaze lingering on the two a little longer. Sissel was a curious little creature indeed and it was heartwarming to see how he behaved around her daughter. He was always so patient too, putting up with Kamila's playful gestures without so much as a complaint. It had been a good idea of her husband's, bringing this cat into their family.

"Well then, I'll leave you to it," Alma murmured, a smile remaining on her lips even as she left the room.


	3. Roasted

Kamila raced to open the door at the sound of the doorbell. "Oh, Lynne, it's you. Good evening!"

"Good evening," Lynne responded in a cheery tone. "I just got off work so I thought I would come by a bit earlier." She looked up, noticing Alma approaching. "Hello. I hope I'm not intruding."

"Oh, of course not, you're always welcome here. It's good to see you, Lynne. Please come on in."

"Okay then." Lynne stepped inside and a bundle of orange fur shot past her. "Hope you don't mind me bringing Missile. He's so fond of Kamila."

"Not at all." Alma glanced at the little Pomeranian. He was rearing up with his paws resting on Kamila and making whining sounds. His tail moved so fast that it was almost becoming a blur. "I can see how attached he is to her." And she knew just how deep his devotion to her daughter was. Lynne hardly needed to ask. That courageous little creature could come into their home whenever he liked.

"Hi, Missile." Kamila dropped to her knees, laughing as he started licking her face. "Easy, boy. I don't need a face wash." She gently pushed him back a little and started caressing him. "Gosh, he's always so lively, isn't he?"

"Yeah." Lynne put a hand to her chin. "He really likes you. I've never seen him get so attached to someone he's just met before. It's curious. Maybe you have some kind of aura about you that attracts animals?"

"Hmm." Kamila tilted her head in thought. "Animals don't usually flock to me though."

Lynne heard a mew and looked down to see Sissel at her feet. "Oh, hi, Sissel!" She knelt down and picked him up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you."

Sissel purred, rubbing his head against Lynne's jaw.

"I bought some marshmallows," said Alma. "Would you and Kamila like to go outside and roast some?"

"Whoa, really?" Lynne looked surprised. "In the garden?"

"Yup, the campfire stuff is already set up," said Kamila. "Dad showed me how to do it. Have you roasted marshmallows before, Lynne?"

"You bet I have. I also used to roast potatoes..." Lynne's eyes turned vacant for a second, her smile fading.

"What's wrong, Lynne?" Kamila's expression turned concerned.

Sissel mewed even louder, butting his head against her chin and purring.

"Ah." Lynne let out an awkward laugh. "It's nothing. Just thinking about something. I haven't roasted anything since I was a child." She glanced down at the cat, petting him with a small smile. 

"She probably means since the incident in the park," Sissel said to himself. "Poor kid." (Pity I couldn't remove the source of her trauma back then.)

"I'll get the marshmallows." Kamila hurried away. 

"Is there anything else you would like, Lynne?" Alma asked.

"No thanks, I'm good."

"Alright then, have fun and enjoy your marshmallows." Alma glanced at the clock. "I wonder when Jowd and Cabanela will be back."

"They seemed pretty busy when I last saw them, but hopefully it won't be long now."

"Okay then." Alma flashed her a smile then walked away.

"I've got the marshmallows," Kamila said, coming back. "Let's go!"

Lynne, Kamila, Sissel and Missile headed out to the garden. Lynne watched as Kamila got to work on starting the fire. It didn't take long for flames to leap up from the wood, casting a radiant glow over the group.

"Here you go." Kamila held a skewer out to Lynne.

"Thanks." Lynne took a small handful of marshmallows and pushed them onto the skewer. She held them out over the flames, watching them slowly turn brown.

Kamila was doing the same. Once they were ready, she began eating the roasted marshmallows. "Mmm. It's yummy."

Lynne ate a marshmallow off the skewer. "Oh, yeah. I had forgotten how good roasted marshmallows were. It's been too long."

Kamila took another marshmallow from the bag. She looked away, watching Missile as he ran in circles around them. "He's a very energetic boy, isn't he?"

"Oh yes. He absolutely loves to go for walks. Unfortunately, I can't always take him out for long. We live in an apartment, you see. Also, I'm a detective now, so I'm pretty busy." Lynne stroked Sissel with one hand as he lay in her lap, holding her skewer over the fire with the other. "I do feel a bit bad, but Missile doesn't seem to mind too much."

"Hmm." Kamila chewed on another marshmallow, looking thoughtful. "I have school, but..."

"Huh?" Lynne blinked at her.

"Well, I would have to ask Mom and Dad first, but what if you brought Missile here sometimes?" Kamila asked. "Then I could take him for walks too. I'm sure he would like that, wouldn't you, boy?"

Missile stopped and looked at Kamila, then let out a joyful bark, rearing up on his hind legs.

"Oh, you would do that?" Lynne took another batch of marshmallows. "We should definitely ask your parents first, yeah, but I think Missile would be really happy."

"Okay, let's ask them later." Kamila patted Missile as he came over to her. He licked her on the cheek then curled up next to her. She stroked her hand along his soft fur. "He really is so cute."

"Yeah." Lynne smiled fondly at him. "He can be a pain in the butt when he starts barking though."

"Oh dear." Kamila rubbed Missile's head. "You really shouldn't cause trouble for Lynne, you know."

Missile raised his head, then let out a whimper.

"Aww, I wasn't trying to scold you. Don't be sad. There, there." Kamila smiled, rubbing his head.

Lynne cupped her chin with her hand, looking at them with a smile. The smile quickly faded and her brow furrowed. "Hm?"

"Did you say something, Lynne?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Lynne flashed her a reassuring smile. She stood up, holding Sissel. "I'm getting pretty thirsty actually so I'm gonna get some water." 

"Okay." Kamila stayed where she was, continuing to pet Missile.

Lynne walked a short distance away before casting another glance back at the fire. "Hmm. I wonder why."

Sissel raised his head, gazing up at her.

"For a moment, I swear I felt deja vu. The sight of Kamila and Missile together, I don't know why, but it gave me the oddest feeling just now." Lynne looked down at the cat. "I wonder if you know."

Sissel mewed.

"Not like you could tell me, huh?" Lynne laughed. She heard voices in the distance. "Oh, it sounds like Detective Jowd and Inspector Cabanela are here. Let's go see them." The detective set off, retracing her steps back to the house.


	4. Spell

Sissel came back from a brief trip outside to find Alma and Kamila seated at the table. He leaped up to a higher spot where he could get a better view. There were papers spread out in front of the little lady, with large writing printed on them.

"Okay, what does this spell?" Alma pointed to a word. "Can you read the letters?"

"C... A... T..." Kamila sounded the letters out slowly. "Cat?"

"Hm. It seems the little lady is learning to read." (Maybe I'll take a look. Just curious, that's all.) Sissel nimbly hopped to the back of the chair, peering over Kamila's shoulder. "So that's what the word 'Cat' looks like, is it? Hmm... what did she say the letters were again? C, A, T?"

"Hello, Sissel. Are you here to learn too?" Alma smiled playfully at the kitten, cupping her cheek with a hand.

Sissel froze then sharply turned his head away and made the most indignant sounding mew he possibly could.

"Sissel!" Kamila twisted in her chair, reaching for the cat with a broad smile on her face.

"Hey, Kamila," Alma said in a gentle tone, "let's do a few more words before you play with Sissel, okay?"

"It seems I'm getting in the way. I should go." Sissel dropped to the floor. "It wouldn't be good to distract the little lady. Hmm, that core looks pretty close. Okay, I'll just stash my body away first." He quickly located a safe hiding spot and followed the trail of cores back to the table. 

Why was he so interested in this particular skill? It wasn't like he had needed it when he was alive, but now things were different. Sissel couldn't help but be driven by a powerful desire to learn as much as he could. Who knew, maybe it would be useful someday. He had certainly not forgotten about the time he was asked to read a certain blackboard.

Maybe it was still a bit of a sore point.

"Okay, we're done." Alma gathered up the papers. "Well done, Kamila. You're such a clever girl. You can go off and play now."

"Yay!" Kamila slid off the chair and raced away.

That evening, Jowd came home from work. Sissel was able to hear them talking from the connecting room. He was surprised to hear his own name come up.

"I know it couldn't be, but it almost looked as if Sissel was trying to read as well," Alma said, laughing lightly. "He can be quite a funny cat at times."

"Sissel was? Hmm. I see."

"Oh, man." Sissel lowered his head. (How embarrassing. Now even Detective Jowd knows.)

Jowd came into the room a few minutes later and caught sight of Sissel skulking just by the doorway. The cat gave him a guarded look, lowering his ears slightly.

"Alma said you were taking interest in Kamila's reading lessons."

Sissel gave a sharp flick of his tail. "So what if I was?"

Jowd chuckled softly. "You know, Sissel, if you wanted to learn how to read, all you had to do was ask."

"What?!" Sissel sprang to his feet. "No, I wasn't thinking anything of the sort!" (Darn, he's got me all figured out. Oh. Oops.)

"You don't need to be so embarrassed about it. A cat being being unable to read is pretty normal." Jowd knelt down. "I would be happy to help you out if you wanted it."

"You're not going to make fun of me?"

"Would I do something like that?" Jowd showed him an open smile.

Sissel just stared at him.

"Well, I'm not going to. Who knows, it could be a useful skill. You could use it to discover all sorts of things. Want to give it a try?"

"You're serious?"

"Sure. You're welcome to sit in on Kamila's reading lessons if you want. I could probably find the time to give you extra lessons if you want."

"You would go to all that trouble for me?"

"It's not that big a deal. And, like I said, it could come in handy. You aren't just a regular cat after all."

Sissel turned his head away. "Well, I guess, if you're offering, I could take you up on it." 

"There we go, that wasn't so hard, was it? Shall we go and see what Kamila's up to?" Jowd picked Sissel up. They found Kamila in her room, stacking building blocks. "Hello, Kamila, I'm home."

"Daddy!" Kamila ran to him, throwing her arms around his leg.

Jowd knelt down, setting Sissel by his feet. "So, Mommy did some spelling tests with you today. I heard you did very well."

"I can spell loads now." Kamila beamed. "Like... um..." Her eyes alighted on Sissel. "Cat!"

"Oh, how do you spell that one?"

"C-A-T."

"Very good. Hmm, would you mind reading a word for Daddy?" Jowd was already taking out his notebook. Kamila watched on as he wrote a word in large letters. Sissel stretched his body up, peering at the letters. "Here we go." Jowd held out the notebook for Kamila to see.

"Detective Jowd must be doing this for my benefit." (I wonder what word he's written down? Not like I can tell.) Sissel stared at the shapes. They looked vaguely familiar. He had tried to commit the letters the little lady had read out earlier to memory but there had been so many. "I think that one there was called i... and there are three of the same letter..."

"S... i... s... s... e... l... oh, I know, it's Sissel!" Kamila exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Look, Sissel, that's your name!"

"Yes. Well done." Jowd lowered the notebook, allowing Sissel to get a good look. "There you go, Sissel, take a good look."

Sissel stared intently at the letters, burning them into his memory. "S-I-S-S-E-L. Sissel." (So that's what my name looks like.)

"Will Sissel learn to read too?" Kamila asked.

"Hmm. Maybe. I know, why don't you help him? You're so good at it already, I'm sure you could."

"Ooh." Kamila's eyes sparkled. "Okay!" She picked Sissel up and twirled around with him. "I'm gonna help you read!"

"There we go," said Jowd. "I'm sure you'll be reading in no time at all, Sissel."

"Uh, sure." (Gotta say, I wasn't expecting him to involve Kamila though.) Still, in spite of these unexpected circumstances, Sissel couldn't help but feel grateful. Now he felt foolish for not swallowing his pride sooner and just asking for assistance. Now that the opportunity to learn had opened up to him, he was looking forward to it.


	5. Chicken

Cabanela leaned back in his seat with his hands behind his head, casually resting a foot against the edge of his desk. His humming was all that could be heard, at least until Jowd came walking back to his desk, clutching a cardboard box.

"Finally." Jowd heaved a great sigh, setting the box down on his desk. The image of a plump chicken on the side of the box left no doubt as to what its contents were. An appetising smell wafted from the box. "I was afraid the food was never going to arrive at this rate."

Cabanela shifted back into a proper sitting position. He lifted the lid of the box on his desk, retrieving another slice of his pizza. The cheese was starting to congeal by now but it was still delicious. He had felt a bit bad about starting on his food while Jowd still waited, but Jowd insisted he go ahead. "Isn't that the third time this month their delivery has been late? I have nooo idea why you keep puttin' up with it."

"Where else am I going to get chicken this good?" Jowd pulled open a drawer, retrieving a plate, cutlery and of course, his beloved ketchup can. He took the chicken from the box and placed it upon the plate. "Hmm, looks like it's already growing cold. I'd better eat it quickly."

Cabanela shook his head. "I sweeear, you must be a masochist."

"Hmph." Jowd smiled, sitting down in his chair. "You call this masochism? This is nothing." He picked up the ketchup can and proceeded to pour the contents over the chicken. "Believe me, I know."

Cabanela chewed on his pizza slice with a thoughtful look, trying to figure out the implication behind Jowd's words. "You say some strange things sometimes."

"Hm?" Jowd paused with a chunk of chicken halfway to his mouth. "You saying I'm strange?"

"Weeell..." Cabanela swiveled his chair from side to side. "Yeah."

"Well, you know what they say. Birds of a feather flock together."

Cabanela's brow furrowed for a second. "Hmph. Touché. I guess I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"I thought you were smarter than that, Cabanela. What a shame."

"Ouch, baby. You really don't mince your words, do you?" In spite of what he was saying, Cabanela still had a smile on his face. "I'm gonna get some tea. You want anything?"

"I'll have a coffee, thanks."

"Coming riiight up." Cabanela hopped off the chair and strutted away, white and red flapping behind him.


	6. Drooling

It was late in the evening and three adults were nestled together on the couch with their bellies full of food, courtesy of the hearty dinner that they had recently eaten. Their attention was focused on the television sitting in front of them.

Jowd felt an added weight suddenly rest upon his shoulder. "Hm?" He turned his head, looking directly at a tufted mass of brown hair streaked with grey. Cabanela's chest rose and fell in tune with his even breaths. His fingers were slack, barely supporting the stem of his wine glass. "Cabanela?" 

"What's the matter?" Alma, sitting across the sofa on Cabanela's opposite side, twisted her body around. She saw the closed eyes and calm expression on his face. "Oh my. It looks like he fell asleep."

"Huh. So he did." Jowd's mouth twisted into a wry smile as he kept looking at his slumbering friend. "Well, he had a busy day today so it's hardly a surprise."

Alma took the remote and turned the volume down on the television. "I'll just take this away." She gently pried the glass from Cabanela's fingers. A couple inches of dark red liquid sloshed around in the bowl. Alma picked up her own empty glass and headed to the kitchen. On her way back, she picked up a blanket.

"There we go." Alma draped the blanket over Jowd and Cabanela then sat back down, pulling the rest of the blanket around her body, all the way up to her shoulders. Jowd pulled his end up as well, ensuring that the blanket covered enough of Cabanela to keep him comfortably warm. Years ago, Alma had sought out a blanket large enough to easily cover three people and it had proven useful many times. 

"Mmm." Alma snuggled against Cabanela, gently resting her head against his shoulder, and closed her eyes with a contented smile. "It's so comfortable. I could easily fall asleep like this."

It wouldn't be the first time that had happened either. Jowd could certainly think of a few times they had ended up falling asleep together and woken up in a tangle of limbs, their bodies huddled together. He could also think of a few times Cabanela had inadvertently stuck an arm or leg into his face. Even in his sleep, his body liked to keep on moving, it seemed. 

Their attention returned to the television. A short while later, Jowd heard Alma make a surprised "Oh" sound.

"What is it?" Jowd looked her way. He saw her face slowly change, a smile of amusement taking form.

"Oh, well, it's just..." Alma peered closer. "Yeah. He's drooling."

"He's what?" Jowd craned his neck. He could see a little glob of saliva slowly making its way down from the corner of Cabanela's mouth. "So he is." 

Alma put her hand to her mouth, making a muffled laughing sound. "Well, I can't say I blame him."

Jowd looked back at her.

"I mean, why wouldn't he drool over you?" Alma grinned. 

"Hah." Jowd responded with a smile of his own. "I suppose we can't very well leave him drooling like that, can we?"

"No, I suppose not. I wish I could take a picture but I don't want to wake him." With a regretful face, Alma reached for the nearby box of tissues. She took a tissue and carefully wiped the drool away. "There we go."

Cabanela stirred, mumbling something incomprehensible, only to grow still again.

"I wonder what he's dreaming about." Alma gazed intently at the slumbering inspector, resting her face against her hand. "Maybe he's dreaming about us?"

"Then I hope they are pleasant dreams."

"Mmm." Alma's gaze shifted to Jowd, her expression turning sympathetic. She was always right there when he woke up from his nightmares, ready to soothe him and send him back to sleep with the reassurance that everything was fine.

Cabanela stirred again, creases forming in his brow. He muttered something that sounded vaguely like 'Jowd', his arm snaking across Jowd's chest. Jowd patted his shoulder as if to tell him 'It's okay, I'm here'. Cabanela relaxed, the lines on his head fading away.


	7. Exhausted

"Ahh." Jowd sighed as he sank down into the armchair. He slumped back and rested his head on the chair's top, closing his eyes. 

"You look tired, honey." 

Jowd cracked his eyes open to see Alma hovering over him with a sympathetic smile on her face. "Yeah. There was a lot of fieldwork involved. We had to comb these woods from top to bottom. Bit of hiking involved too. Now I'm aching all over."

"Poor dear." Alma placed her hand on his tuft of dirty blond hair, leaning in to kiss his forehead. "Shall I rub your shoulders for you?"

"Would you? That would be nice." Jowd shrugged his coat off. Alma stepped around the back of the chair and began massaging his shoulders. He sighed again, relishing the feel of his wife's gentle fingers caressing his tired bones.

Approaching footsteps signalled the arrival of their daughter. "Welcome home, Dad!"

"Hello, Kamila. Did you have a good day at school?"

"Uh huh." Kamila nodded, smiling cheerfully. "Would it be okay if Amelie came to stay over this weekend? Her mom's already said she can."

"Sure. That's fine, right, Alma?"

"Of course. I already said yes, anyway."

"Yay!" Kamila jumped up and down. "I'm going to think of a really awesome contraption to show her."

"Well, good luck with that. I'm sure you'll be able to come up with something incredible."

"Thanks." Kamila tilted her head, putting a hand to her cheek. "Do your shoulders hurt?"

"I'm just tired from work. Nothing to worry about."

"Oh." Kamila looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then smiled. "Then would you like me to get you a cup of tea? That's supposed to help when you're tired, right?"

"That would be lovely, thank you. Milk, two sugars."

"Got it." Kamila hurried off in the direction of the kitchen.

"Such a considerate daughter we have," said Alma.

"We've raised her well. You can stop now." 

"Alright." Alma leaned forward, sliding her hands down his body and clasping them together. She rested her chin on his shoulder, feeling the stubble on his face prickle her cheek. "A hardworking detective like you deserves all the pampering he can get."

"My aching bones certainly appreciate it." Jowd exhaled deeply. "I'm getting older, you know. Body isn't what it used to be anymore."

"Oh, don't talk like that." Alma embraced him just a little tighter, pressing her cheek to his. "I'm sure you are going to continue to be the nation's best detective for years to come."

"Well, I certainly don't intend to retire anytime soon." Jowd turned his head, giving Alma a kiss on the lips. "Cabanela would never forgive me if I retired before him." 

Alma responded with a light chuckle.

"Here you go, Dad." Kamila returned with a mug which she held out to him.

"Thank you." Jowd took the mug from her and sipped at the steaming liquid. "Ahh, lovely. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful wife and daughter."

Sissel hopped onto the arm of the chair, letting out a loud mew.

"And cat too, of course." Jowd rubbed Sissel's head. Sissel purred, pressing his head up against the palm of Jowd's hand.

"Okay, I'm going to go and think of something amazing to show Amelie." Kamila clenched her fists, her eyes sparkling with determination. She turned and raced out of the room.

"So, shall I just order in chicken tonight?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

"I suppose not." Alma's lips curved in a wry smile and she embraced him again. Jowd placed his hand over hers, basking in the feeling of utter contentment.


	8. Star

"You really ate that up quick, didn't you?" Sissel rested a cheek against her hand, smiling across the table at her fiance. "I guess you liked it."

"Of course." Yomiel laid his knife and fork together on the plate. "I had forgotten how good your cooking was. It's been ten years, after all." More like twenty, he thought, just the same decade repeated. "It really is so good to be able to eat your cooking again, Sissel. You remembered my favourite dish too."

"Of course. I wouldn't forget something like that." Sissel leaned forward, putting her chin in both hands. "What better for your first night out of prison?" She exhaled, her eyes half closing. "I still can't believe it. We're finally home together, at last."

"You waited so long for me." Yomiel gazed down at his plate. "I'm so lucky to have a woman like you in my life."

"Oh, Yomiel. You know I love you. How could I just give up on you like that?"

"Yeah." Yomiel met her gaze, smiling. "I love you too." He looked toward the window and the night sky beyond. "How about we go out for a walk?"

They bundled themselves up in coats, hats, scarves and gloves. The air outside was chilly but Sissel didn't complain as she stepped outside the house with him. Yomiel had to admit it was hardly ideal weather for taking a walk, but he was eager to feel the cold and the blustery air on his skin, to look up at the clear sky overhead. The moon was large and luminous, surrounded by a blanket of twinkling stars.

The moon hung in the sky, surrounded by a blanket of stars, casting its silvery light over the land below.

"Oh." Sissel exhaled. "The sky is beautiful tonight."

"Yes." Yomiel found it hard to tear his gaze away. So many hours had been spent just looking up at the stars, back in that old life he spent with a cat by his side. Even after all that, the image of the night sky never failed to take his breath away. It wasn't like he had got to see it very often when he was in prison. "It really is."

They walked away from the house, Sissel humming and swinging their joined hands back and forth.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Yomiel asked. "If you're too cold, just say so."

Sissel shook her head. "No, it's alright. It's nice to just embrace nature once in a while, isn't it?" She let go of Yomiel's hand and skipped a few feet forward before spiralling around with her arms outstretched. "Doesn't it just make you feel so alive?" Sissel stopped her spin, facing Yomiel with a wide smile.

Yomiel smiled back, albeit weakly. "Yeah, it really does."

Sissel came back over and took Yomiel's hand, huddling next to him. "I bet they didn't let you go out at night back in the prison. But we're going to do all sorts of things now. I've been thinking of loads of things we can do." Her words came out in a rush. "Like going to the movies, or a concert, or we could go and see dolphins, or..."

"Sissel." Yomiel interrupted her.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I got carried away there, didn't I?" Sissel flashed an embarrassed smile at him. "I'm just so excited with you finally being home. Thinking of all the things we're going to do, it's making my mind spin."

"There's plenty of time to do them," Yomiel said gently. "We don't have to rush. Just take it one day at a time."

"Yeah, I know, I know." Sissel blew air up at her bangs. "I just feel like I want to do it all at once."

Yomiel quietly chuckled. The two of them fell quiet as they walked along the deserted street. Sissel swung her arms and began to hum. The hums gave way to quiet singing.

"I haven't heard you sing in forever."

Sissel looked up. "Shall I sing louder?"

"Sure. I don't think anyone's going to hear you."

"Like I'd care about that right now." Sissel raised her voice, singing more clearly.

Yomiel recognised the words. This was one of her favourite songs. With Sissel's beautiful voice ringing in his ears, he looked up at the sky again, at the constant, never changing arrangement of stars.

A prickling heat scorched the back of his eyes. His throat started to close up and he made a hitching sound.

Sissel's singing stopped. She saw the glistening beads glide down his cheeks. "Oh, Yomiel." She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "It's alright. You're home now."

"Sissel." Yomiel hugged her back, almost crushing her in his fierce embrace. "Gods... I'm just so happy that we're together again."

"I know." Sissel patted his back.

They held on for a bit longer until Yomiel withdrew and wiped away the tears. He took Sissel's hand. "Would you mind singing some more?"

"Not at all." Sissel shook her head. As they resumed walking along the street, she burst into song once more.


	9. Precious

"Daddy, you're home!" Kamila came scampering over and threw her arms around Jowd's legs. 

"Hello, Kamila." Jowd picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "How was your day at school?"

Kamila drew back, smiling widely. "We had to do a spelling bee today and I got a gold star because I got 'em all right. See?" She pointed at her jumper. A gold sticker clung to the fabric, its edges already beginning to peel. 

"Oh, well done. What a clever girl you are." Jowd kissed her forehead then set her down on the floor.

"Welcome home, darling." Alma came over to embrace him and plant a kiss on his stubbly cheek. "Did you have a good day at work?"

"It was the same as usual. Cabanela will be over a bit later. Work has him a bit tied up at the moment."

"Alright, no problem. We can wait." Alma ran a hand down his arm, gazing fondly at his face. "Oh, right, I believe Kamila has something she wants to show us, right, Kamila?" She glanced down at their little daughter. The cat had made his appearance and stood next to her, slowly waving his tail. 

"I'll get it." Kamila scampered away. She came back a minute later, holding a piece of paper which she held out to her father. "We drew pictures today."

"Oh, let's see." Jowd took the paper and studied the colourful depictions of the family drawn in crayon. "Oh, this is a lovely picture. I think we should put this on the fridge, don't you?" He glanced at Alma.

"Of course. We'll show off your lovely picture to everyone who comes by, Kamila."

"Hooray!" Kamila hopped and down, clasping her hands into little fists. She smiled from ear to ear.

Jowd went to the fridge and managed to clear a spot where the drawing could go. He fixed a magnet to it and stepped back to appreciate the sight. While he was doing so, Alma came up from behind and wrapped her arms around him. 

"She's done a wonderful job, hasn't she?"

"Mmm." Jowd gazed intently at the picture. Everyone in it had a big smile on their face, even the cat as illogical as that was. A memory of that picture sans cat overlapped it, drawing his thoughts to the timeline that stole those smiles away. He lowered his head, feeling a pang. "Our precious little girl..."

Alma sensed the melancholy in his tone. She grasped his hand, giving it a squeeze. "Jowd."

"It's okay." Jowd shook his head. He turned around and gave her a reassuring smile.

His reassurances failed to wipe the concern from Alma's face. She regarded him with a raised eyebrow. "I know you, okay, and I know that you say that even when you don't mean it. Whatever you're feeling or thinking, just say it, alright?" Her fingers came up to caress his cheek. "I am here. Talk to me."

Jowd exhaled, giving his head a slow shake. "I just had one of those moments, that's all. I still feel guilt now and then, thinking about what I tried to do. I almost left her all alone."

Alma swallowed, lowering her eyes. She had already heard every detail from him, including how he had abandoned Kamila at a time when she needed him most, and Alma had made him swear that he would never repeat that mistake. She knew he meant it with all his heart when he vowed he wouldn't. "Don't let it eat you up, alright?"

"I won't." Jowd kissed her forehead. "I swore to myself I wouldn't bottle things up anymore."

"Good." Alma turned her attention back to the picture. "It was nice of her to include her Uncle Cabanela, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. I'm sure he will appreciate that." Jowd smiled, looking at the picture once more. Those smiles would stay this time. He was sure of it.


	10. Flowing

Cabanela raised his arms high above his head, twisting and swaying his body from side to side. With long, slender legs that bent and crossed, he nimbly skipped off the floor, tapping out a steady rhythm in tune to the music. When he did a twirl, his scarf flowed around him, a brilliant red streak that contrasted the billowing white coat. As the music came to an end, so did he, his body bending over in an elegant bow.

The silence was swiftly broken by loud clapping. Cabanela straightened, directing his gaze at the lady who sat in her husband's lap, slapping together her palms. 

"Brilliant," said Alma. "As ever, you're the best when it comes to dancing."

"Aw, you flatter me, baby." Cabanela flashed her a smile. "I'm not sure about being the best but I'm often told that nobody dances quiiite like me."

"Well, they certainly aren't wrong." The remark went unheard by Cabanela and Alma. Jowd, however, overheard the comment and briefly glanced at the cat curled up on the sill, his mouth twitching in a wry smile.

"Cabanela isn't called the dancing detective for nothing," said Jowd. "Even when he's at a crime scene, he just doesn't stop. It's a miracle forensics can do their jobs when he's around."

"And yet I still manage to solve most of my cases, so I'm obviously doing sooomething right."

"If I remember correctly, you used to get scolded by the Chief of Detectives."

"What?" Alma's lips parted, forming a wide circle. "I didn't know about that."

"In the end, he just gave up." Cabanela smiled. "He could hardly ignore my natural talent for investigating."

"I don't think anyone or anything could stop Cabanela from dancing. Except maybe an explosion." Jowd's remark earned a look from Sissel. 

"Hah! Please, like even that would stop me." Cabanela strutted over to them and knelt down, holding his hand out to Alma. "Care for a daaance?"

"Sure, why not." Alma took his hand, sliding off Jowd's lap.

Cabanela glanced at Jowd. "You fancy a dance too?"

Jowd threw his head back and laughed. "If you want your toes broken that badly, I'll just show you where I keep the sledgehammer." His statement was met with laughter from the other two.

"Oh, come on, honey." Alma held her fingers over her smiling lips. "You're really not that bad."

"That's sweet of you to sugarcoat things, but really, I think it would be best for all of us if I sat this one out."

"It's a lost cause." Cabanela shook his head. "We'll never be able to get Jowd to dance."

"And yet, knowing that, you still went and asked," said Jowd.

Cabanela shrugged. "Just tryin' to be poliiite, baby. What kind of friend would I be if I left you out?"

"Really, you don't have to be considerate for my sake."

Alma blew out air in a gesture of mild exasperation. "Honestly." Shaking her head, she went to put on the next song. Together, she and Cabanela began to dance, their bodies swaying and twirling to the music flowing through the room. Jowd watched them with a contented smile. He briefly glanced at Sissel, who watched them intently, swaying his tail back and forth.

"You fancy joining in?"

"Huh?" Sissel looked at him. "Joining in what?"

"Dancing, of course."

There was a moment of confused silence before Sissel reacted. "What?! ME?! I'm a cat! I'd look ridiculous!"

Jowd chuckled faintly. "Yeah. So would I."


	11. Cruel

"I will wait for you." Sissel clasped Yomiel's hands, her eyes, large and luminous, gazing into his. "I don't care how long it takes, when you're released from prison, I'm going to be there. I'm never leaving you, ever."

It still felt like a dream. To have the love of his life bending over him as he lay in that hospital bed, her sweet voice ringing in his ears, assuring him she would stay with him no matter what. "Sissel..." His voice came out thick and slurred. He was swimming in a thick fog brought about by painkillers, struggling to assemble these jumbled thoughts.

"Yes?" Sissel leaned in.

Yomiel blinked, peering up at her face, studying her pretty features with great intensity, burning those little details into his mind. They had blurred over the years, but now here they were, sharp and clear. 

She still loved him, in spite of what he had done. He'd taken a child hostage, threatened to shoot her, left her traumatised as a result, and Sissel still loved him. Would those feelings remain if she was to learn of the twisted person he had become in another timeline?

To think he had done things like using a little girl's birthday surprise to kill her mother. Gods, he had been so cruel. How could he have done that to a child? Then there was the things he had done on that night. He had become a monster. 

"I don't deserve you," Yomiel whispered.

"What are you saying, silly?" Sissel stroked his cheek. "I've heard about everything that happened. I know why you did what you did. It doesn't change the fact I love you, so please don't say that."

Yomiel reached up to caress her soft, wavy locks of hair. The last time he had done this, he wasn't even able to feel. He couldn't even tell if her skin had already gone cold. That was his last memory of her, a memory filled with pain and regret.

There will be new memories. A whole new ten years lie ahead of them.

He won't become a monster. He won't commit acts of cruelty and malice. He won't take people's lives away.

But that doesn't mean he's ever going to forget about what he did.


	12. Whale

Yomiel couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the building looming over them. For a moment, he hoped Sissel was just turning the car around but his hopes were quickly dashed when she drove right up and pulled the car into the car park. Sissel was grabbing the keys and her purse but he couldn't so much as move a muscle. 

Oh gods, why? Of all the places in the world, she had chosen to take him here, to this building with a sign showing a giant whale blowing water from its spout and the words underneath assuring him that this was definitely an aquarium.

"Yomiel? Earth to Yomiel." Sissel shook his shoulder, jerking him out of his trance. "What's wrong?"

"Uh..." Yomiel tore his gaze away, looking at her face. "N-nothing... it's alright." He couldn't stop his voice from trembling.

"Are you sure?" Sissel looked doubtful.

"Y-yeah." His legs were like lead as he got out of the car. It took considerable force to start walking. Sissel held his hand, walking by his side.

"Yomiel?"

"Hm?"

"You're holding my hand really tight."

"Oh, sorry." Yomiel loosened his grip. He pulled in one deep breath after another. Tiny beads of sweat dripped down his skin. The entrance was just up ahead. Just a little further and then...

He would see it. He would be surrounded by those giant water filled tanks, full of fish, trapped with nowhere to go. It would be just like being under the sea.

No way out.

Only darkness, and water.

Walls creaking, bending.

Trapped forever.

Yomiel blinked. Sissel's face was peering down at him. Was that the sky behind her? 

"Yomiel! Oh, thank goodness!" Sissel threw her arms around him.

Yomiel looked around, seeing a small crowd of people, their expressions showing a mix of curiosity and anxiety. He shifted, realising that something soft was supporting his head. "Sissel?" His voice came out rough and hoarse.

"I've got a bottle of water," said a bystander. "Here, you can have it."

Sissel pulled away. "Oh, thank you so much." She took the bottle and helped Yomiel to sit up. Yomiel slowly sipped at the water.

"What happened?"

"You passed out," Sissel said. "I was so worried. It gave me a real shock when you passed out so suddenly."

"Oh." Yomiel lowered his head, feeling a stab of guilt. He hadn't meant to freak her out like that.

"Let's go home, okay?" Sissel put a hand on his shoulder. "We don't have to go in there or do anything else today, let's just stay at home."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I should have asked you first, it's my fault." Sissel got up and reached out, helping him to his feet.

Once they were back in the car, it was silent for a while with Sissel focusing on driving. Eventually, she decided to speak. "I had no idea that you were afraid of aquariums."

"To be honest, neither did I. Not until just recently."

Sissel glanced at him. "I feel so bad. I put you in an uncomfortable situation and then that happened."

"I should have said something. But I thought I could do it, that I would be able to face my fear. In the end, I couldn't. I'm really sorry for putting you through that."

Sissel shook her head. "Stop apologising already. It isn't your fault, okay?" She fell quiet for a moment. "Is there anything else I should know about what you're afraid of? Is it water in particular?"

"Well, no, not water. I mean, I think I could still go in a swimming pool."

Sissel raised an eyebrow. "You think I'll let you anywhere near a swimming pool after that?"

"It's the sea." Yomiel rested his head back on the seat, exhaling. "Something happened and ever since then, I've been afraid of the sea. I can't bear the thought of being underwater. It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?"

Sissel shook her head. "Not at all. So, we won't do anything involving the sea. Nothing like... hmm... submarine rides..."

"No submarines. Ever," Yomiel said in a tight voice.

Sissel glanced at him, a hint of surprise in her expression.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that." Yomiel rubbed his head.

"It's okay." Sissel flashed him a reassuring smile. "I'll be more careful about what I arrange from now on, but Yomi, if something makes you uncomfortable and you don't want to do it, please tell me. Don't push yourself. I know you've got issues, but you can't force yourself like that. Okay?"

"Okay."

Once they were back home, Yomiel excused himself, saying he had to rest. He went to the bedroom and picked up the phone. After a few rings, a voice answered.

"Detective Jowd speaking."

"Hey, it's me."

"Oh. What's up?"

Yomiel lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I passed out today."

"Did you?" There was a hint of concern in Jowd's voice. "What happened?"

"Sissel wanted to take me to an aquarium. I didn't even know what she was planning until we pulled up. I thought I could do it, I could make myself go inside, but in the end, I couldn't. I made a fool of myself."

There was a long pause before Jowd spoke again. "Well, that's rough."

"I was such an idiot, trying to force myself to go in. All I did was make Sissel worry. All I could think about was being trapped and surrounded by water, and it was terrifying." Yomiel drew in a shaky breath and slowly released it. "I should have just told her."

"I suppose." Another pause. "She still doesn't know why, does she?"

"No. I'm not ready to tell her yet. I'm still afraid of that."

"I see."

"I should tell her sometime, shouldn't I? But I can't, not yet."

"It isn't my place to tell you if you should or shouldn't. It wasn't easy for me to tell Alma and Cabanela."

"Yeah, but you're not the one who became a murderous monster."

"True. I only had to tell my wife I abandoned our child and my best friend that I shut him out for five years."

Yomiel wasn't sure if Jowd was being sarcastic or not. "We've both got our burdens, haven't we?"

"What a sorry pair we are, eh?" Jowd's tone was light. "So, do you want me to send Sissel over? I don't know where he is right now but I can let him know."

"Yeah, I would appreciate that, thanks."

"Alright. Later, then."

"Bye." Yomiel hung up. He gazed at the phone for a good minute before lying back on the bed and closing his eyes. Thank goodness he had others he could talk to, he thought. It really was a comfort.


	13. Guarded

Sissel had returned from a trip and was lounging around when the door opened and Kamila came in with a panting Pomeranian at her side. While she was busy taking off her coat, Sissel walked over to Missile and greeted him with a mew. Missile responded with an enthusiastic bark, wagging his tail.

"So you went for a walk with the little lady, did you?"

"Oh yes! It was wonderful!" Missile spoke in an excited rush. "Our first walk together in so long! And I guarded Miss Kamila with all my might!"

"G-guarded?! Did something happen?"

"Huh?" Missile paused, appearing to think about it. "Well, no, nothing out of the ordinary happened. I suppose you could say that it was a very ordinary walk, but it was still such a delight to be by Miss Kamila's side again."

"So it was more like you simply walked with her then." (Geez. This little doggie got me worried for a moment there.)

"But I assure you, I was with Miss Kamila the whole time and I absolutely would not have let any harm come to her, no sir. If any bad guys had so much as come near her, I would have given them a great big bite!"

"Really?"

"Well, I would like to think so. To be honest, though, when a person comes up, all I want to do is wag my tail and say 'Welcome'!" Missile lowered his head. "But, I'm sure, if the time came, if I ever had to protect Miss Kamila, I would definitely do my best to protect her!"

"I'm sure you would, but I also hope you don't ever have to." Sissel glanced at Kamila, who was watching them with a mildly curious look. "I'm looking out for her too."

"I'm sure you are." Missile wagged his tail. "I missed Miss Kamila so much, but I didn't worry. I knew that you were with her, as well as Miss Kamila's family. Now here we are, together again."

"So we are." (I have to admit, I did miss the little doggie too.)

"And I missed you too, Sissel!" Missile started giving the kitten exuberant licks.

"Aw, you two are getting along so well." Kamila knelt down and reached out to pet them, her face lit up by a wide smile. "I'm so glad. You've become good friends, haven't you?"

Missile put his paws on Kamila's lap and gave her sloppy licks. Sissel hopped up and rubbed his head against her chin.

"Ahh, you two are so cute." Kamila laughed, putting her arms around them. "Keep getting along with each other, alright?"

"Of course we will!" Missile exclaimed "Right, Sissel?"

"Absolutely." Sissel looked at Kamila and Missile, feeling a sense of warm contentment. It really was nice to be together again.


	14. Clock

Considering the line of work he was in, Cabanela had tangled with no small number of foes, most of them human. At this moment though, his greatest nemesis was the paperwork spread over his desk. Normally, it would be a breeze but there were other things on his mind. 

Cabanela glanced at the clock again. 7:35 pm, precisely five minutes after the last time he looked. He gripped his pen and urged himself to focus.

How could he possibly focus? He should have been there with them, but no, this paperwork was forming a solid wall between him and the most important people in his life. Cabanela massaged his forehead with an irritated sigh. Why did he have to be burdened with all this work on today of all days? It wasn't like he could just pile it on someone else either. That would be irresponsible, and Jowd would not approve of Cabanela shirking work for personal reasons, even if it was for him.

A shrill ring cut through the tense atmosphere.

Cabanela snatched up the receiver. "Cabanela here." He held his breath, uttering a silent prayer to the gods.

"It's me. All's well here."

The tension seeped out of his body and he slumped onto the desk with a great sigh. "I'm so glaaad to hear your voice, baby."

"I hope you've been working hard," Jowd said, his tone stern.

"Er, well, a little progress is better than none at all, riiight?"

"You know I didn't want you sitting and worrying the whole time."

"How could I not?" The knuckles of Cabanela's hand turned white as it coiled around the receiver. "Today is Alma's birthday. It's the day... the day she..." He trailed off, unable to form the words. "I should have been there with you. I would have liked to be there, no matter what might have happened in another timeline, but work just haaad to get in the way."

"I know how you feel, but work is important too. There will be other birthdays you can spend with us."

"Yes. There will, won't there?" Cabanela sat back and looked at the clock again. Alma was fine. He knew there was no reason she shouldn't be, but he still felt giddy with exhilaration. 

"Do you want me to put her on?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Hello, dear. Still busy with work?" 

Her sweet voice was music to his ears. "Happy birthday, Alma. Hooope you liked my present." He had handed it to Jowd to give to her earlier that day.

"I did. Thank you, Cabanela. It's lovely." Alma paused. "You were worrying about us, weren't you?"

"Just a biiit. But now I'm feeling muuuch better, baby."

"You knew there was no need to worry. Nothing was going to happen."

"Yeah, but I just couldn't help it, thinking about you know what."

"I understand." Alma exhaled. "Now, you stop worrying and you get back to your work, do you hear me?"

"Maaan, not you too. I already got a scolding from Jowd, isn't that enough?"

Alma's laugh tinkled through the receiver. "It's just because we care about you. So, we'll see you tomorrow, hopefully?"

"You beeet. Well then, best be gettin' back to work. Goodnight."

"Night." With a click, the line went dead.

Cabanela set the receiver down and returned to his work, humming a tune.


	15. Weak

A weak little kitten with no name wandered into the park, drawn by the sound of voices. A faint but sweet smell hung in the air, making his stomach rumble even more. He cried for attention, begging someone to look his way.

The sky flashed a brilliant blue and a tremendous roar sent him fleeing into the nearby patches of grass. Pain, red hot and intense, seared through his body.

When he came to, his body wouldn't move. About all he could do was open his eyes. The pang of hunger in his stomach was gone, as was his ability to feel. For a second, the kitten was confused. 

The man whose leg he had been rubbing was holding onto him. He was conversing with other men wearing matching blue uniforms. That other man with the pointy hair lay nearby, half hidden beneath some concrete abomination. There was the little girl in the distance speaking with another person wearing blue.

Something had happened. He knew that much. No, he should know. At the very edges of his mind, a memory was struggling to emerge. The little kitten tried to move again and his world became red. He saw the glowing dot in the man's head and reached out. 

"What the?! Why am I back here?"

He observed the man's surprised expression. It had come a bit of a surprise to him too, but somehow this world felt familiar. "I... I know you... don't I?"

Jowd blinked. "Don't tell me you forgot again, Sissel."

"Ah..." Sissel. Of course, that was his name. In the next instant, the kitten was replaced by an adult cat wearing a red scarf. "Unbelievable. I can't believe I almost lost my memories again right after I remembered!"

The man, who he now recognised as Detective Jowd, frowned. "I thought you went back to the present."

"I did. Hmm, but it seems I'm still dead somehow. Wait a second." Sissel glanced at his body and saw the tell tale waves flowing out. "Ah. So that's it."

"Hm? Mind sharing what you've figured out?"

"Looks like the Temsik fragment found itself a new host." (Seems my fate of dying doesn't change after all.)

"Huh." Jowd stared at him in silent contemplation. "You're in the same state as Yomiel was, then?"

"I believe so. My body won't move very much right now, but it seems I can still use it. I'd say that's far preferable to just being a regular ghost."

"Wow. I really didn't expect this." Jowd's brow furrowed. "So, how do you feel about that, Sissel?"

"How do I feel... well, I'm certainly surprised. But, thinking about it, I don't think I mind too much."

"Oh? So you're okay with being like this?"

"Yeah. I get to keep my ghost tricks and my body. It's going to be pretty different, but I'm sure things will work out."

"Well, having an immortal cat with powers is certainly going to be interesting." Jowd smiled. The smile faded away and he exhaled. "It's so strange. Being ten years in the past... I can still remember everything."

"Same here."

"It's certainly a lot to process. Anyway, I need to talk to the police about everything, and then I guess a hospital visit is next. I'm going to put you away in my coat, alright?"

"Alright. My body won't do much right now, so I think I'll just rest for now."

"You do that. I'm sure it won't be long before we're both home."

"I'm looking forward to that."

"So am I." Jowd placed the kitten in one of his spacious coat pockets.

Sissel curled up and closed his eyes. Once more, he checked the Ghost World. There was another core of the dead, beyond his reach. Even if it had been close enough, he didn't think he would approach it.

Now was not the time. Yomiel had to have other things on his mind after all. Their reunion would definitely take place at some point in the future.

For now, that formerly weak and lonely little kitten was just going to rest and look forward to the eventual homecoming.


	16. Angular

"Phew." Jowd sank onto the couch, putting aside the crutches. He glanced down at his injured knee which was swathed in thick bandages. "I'm definitely not going to be chasing anyone down again for a while."

Alma tore her gaze from their young toddler, who was currently taking great interest in the newest member of their family. "I doubt it. Is there anything you need?"

"Just you. That's all I need for now."

Alma seated herself next to Jowd, leaning against him and putting a hand on his leg. "I'm glad it wasn't worse."

Jowd didn't speak. He was entirely focused on studying her face. The scent of her perfume wafted past his sinuses, evoking a vivid rush of memories, all of Alma. Alma laughing, Alma smiling, Alma embracing him.

"Anyway, you're going to have to take it easy for a while, aren't you?" Alma looked up at him. "Will you still be going into work?"

Jowd forced back the lump in his throat. "I think I'll be able to manage desk work. Fieldwork might be out of the question. At least I can trust Cabanela to pick up the slack."

"Okay, good." Alma reached up with slender fingers, cupping his face and rubbing a thumb over the edge of his angular cheekbone. Jowd exhaled, his breath quivering, and he brought his hand up to cover hers. It was soft and warm.

"Alma..."

"Yes, dear?"

"I just wanted to say your name." Jowd smiled and reached out with his other hand, brushing away a loose strand of purple hair from her cheek.

It didn't escape Alma's notice how intense his gaze was as he looked at her. She had noticed it in the hospital too, and she had also heard how close to tears he was as he spoke to her. Some change had definitely taken place in him since this morning. No doubt it had something to do with the situation that led to him having a bandaged leg and crutches, and coming home with a new kitten.

"Is everything okay?" Alma asked, her brow furrowing. She took his hand in both of hers, gently grasping it, while still looking into his eyes. "There's something on your mind, isn't there?"

Hiding things from her had never been easy, he recalled. Jowd put his other hand around one of hers, giving it a squeeze. "I'm just so glad to be here with you."

This really was about her. Alma tried to figure out the puzzle behind his words. Could his brush with death by meteorite fragment have provoked this somehow, or was there something more behind it?

"Alright. You don't have to tell me what it is right now." Alma leaned forward and kissed his lips. She drew back, smiling despite the hint of concern that remained in her expression. "I know you've got your secrets."

Jowd embraced her, hugging her fiercely. He buried his face in her soft hair, inhaling her sweet scent. It felt so surreal. His beloved Alma, warm and alive, in her arms. "I love you." It had been so long since he last said those words and it felt so good to say them again.

Alma hugged him back. "And I love you too."


	17. Swollen

Sissel lay curled up on the end of Kamila's bed, listening to his mistress hum while she laboured away on some elaborate contraption. In the midst of hammering and heavy breathing, he picked up the sound of a soft hum. Sissel raised his head, catching sight of a fuzzy yellow and black creature hovering around his mistress. His gaze shifted to the open window. No doubt it had come through the window.

"Hmm, could that be a bee or a wasp? Or maybe it's one of those other yellow and black flying things. I can't tell them apart that well." (What I do know though is that some of them sting.)

A yelp from Kamila confirmed his worst fears. 

"Oww." Kamila's eyes were shimmering as she clutched her wrist where the fuzzy creature had impaled itself. "I just got stung by a bee." She gingerly pried at it and pulled it away with a wince, revealing a swollen red spot.

Sissel leaped off the bed, meowing in concern.

"Why would it do that?" Kamila looked at the still wriggling bee in the palm of her hand. "Now that it's stung me, it's going to die."

(It's going to what?!) Sissel immediately backpedaled from her.

"Don't worry, it's not going to sting you." Kamila flashed him a wobbly smile even with tears streaking from her eyes. "It really hurts. I'll go ask Mom what to do." She dropped the bee into the wastebasket on her way out of the room.

Sissel leaped up onto a shelf above the wastebasket and waited. Soon enough, the bee had become a corpse. He possessed its core and played through its last four minutes. The bee came through the window at the very beginning, proceeded to go over to Kamila and sting her when her arm brushed against it. It then died a slow death.

"This should be simple enough." Sissel leaped to the core on the window. The bee was still outside, zooming toward the window, but it would never make it into the room as Sissel slammed the window down, barring its entrance. "There. Now Kamila won't get stung and the bee will get to live."

"Huh?" Kamila looked at the window. She put a hand to her cheek, tilting her head. "The window just came down all by itself. Maybe it's loose." Thinking nothing more of it, she returned to her construction.

When Sissel returned to the present, Kamila was still hammering away with a smile on her face.

"Good. The little lady is still here and unharmed. Job done." Feeling satisfied, Sissel returned to his body where he resumed watching over her.


	18. Bottle

A somber melody played from the stereo, resounding off the decrepit walls of the abandoned house. Cabanela pulled out his chair and slid into it with a heavy sigh. His movements had none of the usual flair that others were so used to seeing. He produced a bottle of red wine and a glass.

With a loud pop, the cork was removed from the bottle. Cabanela poured just enough to fill half the glass. He swirled the red liquid around in the bowl and took a sniff.

"Italian Chianti." Cabanela took a sip and let the liquid linger on his tongue before gulping it down. "I'm sure you would have liiiked it too, baby." His gaze flickered over the table. "Pity you aren't here to share it with me." Alma had been quite the fan of red wine, just like him. "Cheers," he added, raising the glass.

Cabanela closed his eyes and focused on listening to the music. It was sad, yet soothing. He rested his cheek in his hand and slowly sipped at his drink while cycling through his memories.

How many times had he sat at this table with Jowd and Alma, eating, drinking, laughing and talking together? He could almost imagine them sitting right there and hear their voices. Maybe Kamila was there too even, excitedly telling them about something she had done in school or some new toy or gadget she had heard about.

The song came to an end and so began the next one, another sad song. Happy songs were hardly appropriate for this moment after all.

"I wish you were here. Maybe you could give me a clue as to what your fool husband was thinking on that day." Cabanela opened his eyes, swirling the glass with a pensive look. "But it's useless. The dead don't talk, riiight? It's up to me to drag Jowd out of that hole he threw himself into."

Cabanela drained the rest of the glass and licked his lips. He sat back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. "If you could talk to me, what would you say? Something like 'Quit moping around and go save him already', perhaaaps?" The question was punctuated with a dry chuckle. "Believe me, baby, I'm trying. So don't you worry."

Another song came to its end. Cabanela cocked an eye at the bottle. One glass was enough. He needed a sharp mind. "Weeell, I think that's enough for tonight." The chair scraped against the floor as he leaped to his feet. "I'll come again, don't you worry." 

Cabanela poured another helping of red wine into the glass and set it down. "For you, baby. Enjoooy."

Not like he was going to share it with anyone else.

Cabanela switched the stereo off, plunging the room back into utter silence. He sauntered to the door and pulled it open, pausing for a moment.

"I miss you," Cabanela whispered, his fingers tightening around the door handle. A rush of heat surged to his eyes, bringing with it a prickling sensation. He cast another glance back at the dark and empty room that held a secret. "Both of you."


	19. Scorched

The scorched earth sears the soles of his feet, causing his flesh to blister. Plumes of fire dance around him, licking at his bare form. Smoke fills his nose and mouth. He coughs and coughs, trying to clear his lungs. Tears spill down his blackened cheeks, leaving white streaks. Through the flames, he sees faces. One by one, the people surrounding him jab at him with burning spears, bringing fresh pain to his burning body.

With a loud gasp, Yomiel jolts awake. He tries to move, finding himself somehow tangled up in the sheets. Even his clothes are clinging to him. He stares into the empty space above him for a moment, listening to the sound of his breath, the only thing to be heard in the silence of the sleeping prison.

Yomiel sits up and holds his head in his hands. He focuses on breathing deeply, struggling to calm himself. He would have thought he would be used to the nightmares by now but it's never easy suffering from a bad dream. If he could just shrug them off so easily, they could hardly be called nightmares now, could they?

He gets up and paces around his cell for a bit. It helps a bit, just moving around. Of course, it would be far preferable if he had more space but at this time of night, that's not happening. So he just paces around in circles. Eventually, he returns to the cot and falls asleep. His subconscious is merciful to him this time and he is able to sleep peacefully until morning comes.

The first visitor of the day is Detective Jowd. He comes straight down to the cell. "How are you doing today, Yomiel?"

"Detective. How nice of you to come and visit." Yomiel looks around his cell and gives a shrug. "Same as usual."

"Good to hear. I'm glad you're not finding prison life too difficult."

"Yeah, it could be worse, I guess." Yomiel gazes levelly at Jowd for a moment. "You weren't too bothered by it, were you? You always looked perfectly content in your cell."

"Used to pop in on me now and then, did you? I should have guessed as much."

"Well, I did at first, but I got bored of it pretty fast. You looked so damn content even behind bars, it honestly kind of annoyed me." Yomiel offers him a wry smile. "Not surprising, considering you threw yourself in there to begin with."

"Hmph." Jowd smiles as well. "It wasn't the most comfortable experience, but I was willing to do what it took. At least they let me have my favourite chicken for my last meal."

"Good for you," Yomiel says, somewhat dryly. 

"It was stone cold. Took me a long time to eat."

"Sorry to hear that." 

Jowd looks away, contemplating something. "Maybe I could pull some strings, get you something better than prison food once in a while."

Yomiel shakes his head. "No, that's fine."

"You sure?" Jowd looks a little surprised.

"I don't deserve preferential treatment. It wouldn't be fair to the other prisoners now, would it?" Yomiel smiles weakly. "Still, I appreciate the thought."

"I guess you're right." Jowd exhales. "If there's anything you need, you can just ask me, you know."

"I know. Thank you."

"So." Jowd rests a hand on the cell bars. "Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

Yomiel averts his gaze, staring into space. After a while, he speaks. "I had another nightmare last night." 

"Oh?"

"I was burning in hell, and I saw all the people I had wronged. They were stabbing me with spears. It hurt a lot."

"Ouch." Jowd looks sympathetic. "It's not fun, having nightmares."

"You must have had your fair share of nightmares too."

"Sure." Jowd shrugs, with a smile. "I just laugh them off."

Yomiel stares at him doubtfully.

"Okay, that's not totally true. But, well, there's not much choice but to get used to them. As time goes by, they might happen less often."

"I hope so." Yomiel sighs, reaching up to rub his head. "There's just... so much guilt. It's a lot to get over, and it's not like I can talk about it with just anyone."

"Indeed. I'm always ready to talk if you need it."

"Yeah."

"Well, I'd better get back to work." Jowd extends a hand through the cell bars. Yomiel takes it and they clamp hands firmly. "Take care, Yomiel. I hope your nightmares stop soon."

"See you later, Detective." 

Jowd turns and walks away. Yomiel listens to the sound of echoing footsteps until it fades away, then he lies down on his cot.

It will get easier over time. He wants to believe so.


	20. Breakable

Human beings were breakable creatures indeed. Nobody knew that better than Cabanela right then. His shattered bones chafed against his skin. Every tiny little movement brought forth fresh agony. The doctors injected him with painkillers and he found himself being pulled down into the darkness, but he didn't want to go. All he could think of was Jowd, venturing into that submarine, and Lynne tagging along with him. Would they be okay? How could he sleep at a time like this? He wanted to struggle, to protest, but it was futile to fight against the cocktail of drugs that pulled him down into the darkness.

Cabanela woke up, lost in the midst of confusion. Was he in the hospital right now? He reached out, fumbling around until he found a switch. With a click, the light came on, revealing his bedroom. He blinked rapidly, staring up at the ceiling. Was that a dream concocted from the stories Jowd told him or a memory of another time? The pain, the frustration, the longing, it had all felt so real.

His eyes were damp, he realised as he reached up to rub them. Cabanela exhaled loudly and sat up, giving his head a slow shake. It was clear that he wouldn't be going back to sleep. He got up and went to put the kettle on.

At five a.m., Cabanela decided to call him.

"A bit early, isn't it?" Jowd sounded distinctly grumpy.

"Ahh, the fresh and dewy feeling of an early morning," Cabanela said in a jovial tone, smiling widely. "There's nooothing like it, baby. What say you we head down to the police station and get cracking?"

"Is this another one of your breakthrough moments?"

"Well, no, not especially. But, you know, those criminals aren't gonna catch themselves, right? You know what they say, the early bird catches the worm."

"Hmm. It really sounds like you're trying to make excuses here."

"Oh, come ooon, baby, must you be so difficult?"

"Fine, I'll be there." With a click, the line went dead. Cabanela stared at the phone, listening to the sound of the dial tone, then set it down. He was used to Jowd's abruptness after all these years so it didn't bother him too much. At least he had agreed to come.

Cabanela hopped onto his bike and rode down to the police station. He sat down outside the building and waited. Soon enough, he heard the sound of a car and not long after that, he saw the familiar green coat, a sight that made his heart leap.

"Mooornin'." Cabanela sauntered over. "Man, I'm all fired up today, I feel like I could just take on the world, don't you?"

"If it would let me sleep longer in the mornings, I would gladly do it." Jowd folded his arms across his chest. "So, really, what's up with you, Cabanela?"

"Hmm?" Cabanela twisted his body away, raising a hand. "I guess I just felt like having your company. You know, I'm sure glaaad you're here and not..." He paused, then spoke again in a quieter tone. "Somewhere like the bottom of the sea."

Jowd gazed silently at Cabanela, a flicker of sympathy showing on his face, then he nodded. "Yes, I'm quite glad for that too. So, shall we get cracking then?" He started toward the station.

"Jowd."

The detective stopped in his tracks. A pair of arms snaked around his shoulders and he felt Cabanela's weight press against his back.

"I was so afraid." Cabanela's breath passed by Jowd's ear, coupled with his choked voice. "I thought I might never see you again."

"It's okay." Jowd put a hand over one of his trembling arms. "I'm not going anywhere."

Cabanela took a few shaky breaths then drew back, swiping a hand across his eyes. He put a hand on his hip and arranged his lips in a smile. "Well then, off to work we gooo, baby." With a spring in his step, he walked alongside Jowd to the building.


	21. Drain

"Shall I give you a haaand?" Cabanela strutted into the kitchen, where Alma stood over the sink, plunging dishes into hot, soapy water.

"Would you?" Alma flashed him a smile. "I'll wash, you dry."

"Got it." Cabanela stood next to her. He took the first dish she offered to him, swiftly wiped it clean with a dish towel and slotted it into the draining board, humming along the whole time. "Nothing like having sparkling clean dishes, am I right?"

"Now if only Jowd had the same enthusiasm for cleaning," Alma said with a wry smile. The smile faded and a slight frown etched itself in her forehead as she scrubbed away at another plate.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Cabanela cocked an eye at her, looking concerned.

"Just thinking about everything he told us the other day." Alma shook her head. "Learning that you got murdered in another timeline, I mean, it's just... shocking. I was murdered just to make him feel pain, like I'm just... I don't know. It didn't matter that I was a person with a life of my own. I didn't want to die. At least, I'm pretty sure I didn't."

"I think you've scrubbed that plate pretty clean now." Cabanela held his hand out and she handed the plate to him. He rubbed at it with the dish towel. "It was pretty cruel, wasn't it? Just takin' your life away like that. Causing Jowd pain and not just him, me too. I know I couldn't bear the thought of you dyin', baby."

"I'm alive. I know I'm not going to die, but it's still... I don't know I'm supposed to feel." Alma shook her head, her eyes glistening. "I left my husband and my child all alone. There was nothing I could do for them. It's silly to get upset over this, isn't it?"

"Not at aaall." Cabanela put an arm around her shoulders. "Just let it out. Have you been holdin' it in all this time?"

"I..." Alma's voice broke off and she turned around to bury her face in Cabanela's chest, her shoulders shaking. Cabanela slipped both arms around her body and held her while she quietly cried. After a couple minutes, she pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Guess I'm just a bit emotional at the moment."

"There's nothing wrong with thaaat." Cabanela smiled at her. "If you've got something on your mind, just say it, okay, baby?"

"Mmm." Alma showed him a wobbly smile. "Thank you."

"No need to thaaank me. I know it's a lot to take in. The thought of Jowd keepin' it all a secret, even from me, throwing himself in prison... there's one thing I'm glad to know though."

"What's that?" Alma started scrubbing another plate.

"That I believed in him and spent those five years fighting to save him, of course. I mean, of course I would, but hey, it's still good to know that, I guess. Still, it would have been better if he just tooold me everything instead of making me do the hard work."

"Does it bother you? That he didn't?"

"It kinda does, but I forgive him. His head obviously wasn't in the right place after he lost you, and in such a awful way, one that made it look like Kamila's fault too." Cabanela made a disgusted noise. "It was just messed up. At least he finally came round and told us all about it, eh?"

"Yeah." Alma handed Cabanela another plate. "He's obviously got a lot of things on his mind. I'm so glad he finally let it all out. It wasn't good for him, bottling it all up."

"Not at all. And now we knooow what's up with that cat too."

"We know why Sissel never grows, eats or poops."

"And why he never sheds all over my coat."

"I seem to remember you asking why we couldn't have got a white cat." Alma glanced at Cabanela, her eyes sparkling in amusement. "Turned out it didn't really matter." She held another plate out. 

Cabanela took the plate from her and wiped it down. "No, I suppose not. He's like the peeerfect pet."

"Yeah." Alma started on the cutlery. "He's so good with Kamila too. When she was a toddler, I would catch her doing things no normal cat would put up with. He never scratched her, not even once."

"Like I said, the peeerfect pet." Cabanela took the cutlery that was handed to him and wiped each piece down one by one. After wiping the glasses down as well, he glanced at the sink. "So, it looks like we're dooone, then?"

"Yup, sure seems like it." Alma pulled the plug and watched the soapy water spiral down the drain. "Now that's done, we can go sit with Jowd."

"Suuure." Cabanela turned to face her, looking serious for a moment. "You sure you feelin' okay, now?"

"Absolutely." Alma clasped her hands, looking at him with a bright smile. "You don't have to worry about me."

"If you say so. Just remember, you can talk to me about anythin'. That's what best friends are for, baby."

"I know." Alma clasped her hands, tilting her head. "Well then, let's not keep Jowd waiting."

"Riiight. Can't have my baby being lonely." Cabanela danced on out of the kitchen with Alma following behind him.


	22. Expensive

After ten years, it felt odd to finally be out of prison and standing in an actual house. Yomiel wandered from room to room, trying not to think about what it had been like the last time he had been there. He could still remember it so clearly. The piled up takeaway containers, the wadded up tissues scattered everywhere, the blood... fortunately, none of that was to be seen anywhere.

"The house looks nice, doesn't it?" Sissel followed him. "I went to all the trouble of tidying up and cleaning for your homecoming."

"Really, you didn't have to go to that much trouble." Yomiel turned around, smiling wryly at her.

"But of course I did!" Sissel exclaimed, looking shocked. "I couldn't have you coming home to a pigsty."

Yomiel raised an eyebrow. "You mean it looked like a pigsty before you cleaned up?"

"What?" Sissel blinked. "No... no, of course not!" She looked away, pulling at a strand of hair and puffing her cheeks. "You're such a tease, Yomi. Okay, maybe it did need some tidying up, but it wasn't that bad. It's not like the place was overrun with rats."

Yomiel chuckled softly, reaching out to stroke her hair. "It's enough to just come home to you." He looked at her tenderly, studying her slightly indignant expression.

"Aw. You're so sweet." Sissel wrapped her arms around him and pressed her head against his chest. "You're going to be living here from now on, so I guess I need to start making more effort."

"I'm not expecting you to cook and clean every day."

"Good." Sissel pulled away, smiling. "Well, at least I'm cooking something for tonight. Oh, that reminds me, I've got champagne in the fridge."

"Champagne? Pretty expensive."

"It's your homecoming so I'd say it's worth it. Shall we have a glass now?"

"As long as it's just a glass, I haven't had a drink in ten years."

"Alright, I'll go get it. You sit down and get comfortable." Sissel headed in the direction of the kitchen.

Yomiel seated himself on the couch, hearing the sounds of Sissel moving around the kitchen. His eyes fell upon a pile of magazines on the coffee table. He picked them up and sifted through them, finding that most of them were wedding magazines. Yomiel leafed through the pages of one magazine, looking at the pictures of women in bridal dresses.

"Here you go." Sissel came over with two glasses of fizzing, golden liquid. "Ah. I see you found my magazines."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snoop." Yomiel put the magazines back.

"Don't be silly." Sissel sat down beside him and handed him a glass. She held up her own. "To your homecoming."

"Cheers." Yomiel clinked his glass against hers then took a sip. He immediately grimaced. "Uhh... delicious."

"Your face is saying something else entirely."

"Sorry, it's just that I haven't drank in so long. I have to get used to the taste again."

Sissel laughed. "It's fine. I got it mostly for myself anyway." She sipped at her glass and closed her eyes. "Mmm."

"You did always like your champagne, didn't you?" Yomiel sipped again, feeling the liquid burn his throat. "So... you've been buying wedding magazines."

"Yeah." Sissel looked at the magazines, tilting her head with a smile. "I like looking at the pictures, imagining myself wearing dresses, that sort of thing. It's a bit silly, isn't it?"

"You waited all these years for me." Yomiel stared down at his lap. "I'm sure you were looking forward to getting married soon. I can't even say for sure when we'll be able to. I don't have that much money at the moment."

"Oh, don't worry about money." Sissel leaned on him, resting her head against his shoulder. "It's fine. I don't need to have a big, fancy wedding. Even just getting married in a registry office would be enough for me. I've told you that already."

"But, are you really sure?"

"Yomiel. Look at me." Sissel lifted her head. As Yomiel faced her, she pulled his sunglasses away and gazed deep into his eyes. "The only thing that matters to me is that we're together. I don't mind that we had to wait at least ten years to get married. Enough of the guilt complex, okay?" She leaned in and kissed his lips, then put her hand on his cheek. "I promise you, it's enough."

"Okay." Yomiel kissed her back, smiling. "But we'll have to at least get you a wedding dress."

"Of course." Sissel beamed. "And a tuxedo for you. I'm sure you'll look good in one." She glanced at the sunglasses she was still holding onto. "No sunglasses, though."

"What?" Yomiel put on a look of mock dismay.

Sissel giggled and handed him back the sunglasses. "You really don't need to hide your eyes. They are so beautiful."

"And that's why I save them for you only." Yomiel leaned in, pecking her cheek.

Sissel rolled her eyes, smiling. "Yeah, right." She sat back and leaned on him, sighing in satisfaction. "It's good to have you home."

"Mmm." Yomiel rested his cheek against the top of her head. "I'm glad to be home."


	23. Muddy

The door opened and Kamila came in. An orange blur shot past her legs and started capering around the room.

"Ah! Missile!" Kamila covered her mouth. "I told you to stay put!"

The adults gathered around the table, as well as the cat on the windowsill, looked their way. Kamila chased after the energetic Pomeranian and seized him by the collar, pulling him to a stop.

"Oh, Missile." Kamila groaned, her eyes sweeping over the evidence of Missile's rampage. She looked guiltily over at the adults. "I'm sorry. Missile rolled in some mud and then he came in before I could stop him."

"Did he now?" Lynne came over and knelt down, peering at Missile's dirt encrusted fur. "Missile! Now you're all muddy. What are we gonna do with you, huh?" She sighed in exasperation and patted the dog's head. "You shouldn't go causing trouble for Kamila now."

Missile's ears twitched, then he lowered his head and let out a whine. His furiously wagging tail slowed to a stop.

"Aww, it's okay." Kamila rubbed behind his ears. "I forgive you, Missile."

Missile perked his ears up and turned around to give Kamila a couple of licks.

"Haha. He's quite the mischievous little thing, isn't he?" said Jowd.

"I'll thaaank you not to let him anywhere me," said Cabanela, eyeing the muddy pawprints on the floor with a concerned look.

"Says the guy who eats spaghetti in such a dangerous way."

Cabanela cocked an eye at Jowd. "There's a certain knaaack to it, baby. It's never failed me once."

"Or maybe you've just been lucky."

"Hmph." Cabanela smirked. "You just don't get it."

"Yeah. You're a hard one to get."

"So. What are we gonna do about the dog?" Alma asked. "Maybe you should hose him down. The hose is out back."

"I guess I'll have to." Lynne looked chagrined. "I'm really sorry about this."

"No, I'm the one who walked him, it's my fault," Kamila protested. "I'll wash him for you."

"Shall we do it together?" Lynne glanced down at Missile, who was now crouching and flattening his ears. "He really doesn't like baths so he might try to run away." She laughed lightly.

"Okay. Bath time for you, Missile!" Kamila announced with a bright smile, paying no heed to the dog's dismay as she pulled him toward the door. Lynne took hold of the collar as well, assisting her in escorting Missile from the house.

"Well." Alma started to push back the chair. "I'll get the mop."

Cabanela leaped up. "Allooow me." Without waiting for Alma to protest, he danced away in the direction of the utility closet.

"He sure is eager to clean." Jowd raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. I really don't get him."

"If only you could be as enthusiastic about cleaning." Alma folded her arms, regarding him with a wry smile. 

Jowd responded with a shrug. "Sorry, but cleaning just isn't my thing."

"Good thing you got me, then." Cabanela returned with the mop and a bucket, which he went to fill with water. He came back and set down the bucket, then readied the mop. With a dramatic thrust, he held the mop out then did a twirl before swiping it over the floor. Jowd and Alma watched on as Cabanela skipped and twirled, deftly cleaning away the dirt stains. At the end, he made a flourish. "How about thaaat?"

After a long moment of silence, Alma lifted her hands and slowly clapped.

"You just wanted to show off, didn't you?" Jowd asked.

"Oh come on nooow, baby. That's no way to say thank you."

The conversation was interrupted by a piercing whine. They turned their heads in the direction of the sound, hearing another cry of protest, then exchanged bemused smiles.

Sissel left his body to check on Missile and the two ladies. The whimpering Pomeranian looked absolutely miserable, which Sissel could empathise with. Back when he was alive, he never cared for baths either and no amount of clawing and biting could have deterred his owner. Nowadays though, he tolerated all the baths Kamila gave him, not like he could feel it anyway.

Watching the scene, Sissel felt sympathetic and yet contented at the same time. "There's never a dull moment with the little doggie or the inspector in white around." He left them to it and returned to his spot on the sill.

After being washed and rubbed dry with a towel, Missile was allowed re-entry. The sodden dog slunk over to the heater and curled up next to it. Sissel leaped down and walked over to him.

"Seems like you had a rough time," said Sissel. "We could hear you all the way in here."

"Oh, Sissel!" Missile cried out. "It was absolutely dreadful! Miss Lynne and Miss Kamila were blasting me with that awful water snake and I tried to get them to stop, I really did, but my pleas went ignored!"

"You kind of had it coming with that big mess you made."

"Huh? Oh... yes, I suppose you're right, I was rather naughty, wasn't I?" Missile flattened his ears. "I just can't help it. Sometimes I get so excited I just want to run around and roll all over the place, don't you?"

"No, not especially."

"Hmm. Well, that's how it is for me. You know what, Sissel?"

"What?"

"I'm never going to roll in mud ever, ever again! I have well and truly learned my lesson! I'll make sure Miss Lynne and Miss Kamila never have to bathe me ever again, not for the rest of my life!"

(Yeah, good luck with that...) "Still, you did well, Missile."

"Huh?"

"You hung in there, didn't you? You're a brave little doggie."

"Oh... oh, thank you, Sissel! It feels so good to hear you say that!" Missile's tail thumped furiously against the floor.

Satisfied that the little doggie's good mood had been restored, Sissel lay down beside him. Missile rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes, the movement of his tail gradually slowing to a stop.


	24. Chop

Kamila had asked to make dinner that evening, and her dish of choice was spaghetti. Since she had never made it before, Alma would be supervising. 

"First, let's chop the onions." Alma wiped off the onions she had just washed and set them down on the chopping board. "You'll have to dice them. It's a bit tricky, so I'll show you how to do it."

Kamila watched intently as Alma proceeded to chop the onion into neat little cubes.

"Do you want to try?" Alma brought up an arm to rub her watering eyes. "Wow, these onions really sting."

"Yeah, I want to give it a go."

"Alright then, be careful now." Alma stepped aside, allowing Kamila to pick up the knife and an onion.

Kamila's movements were swift and precise. There was no hesitation or worry on her face as she made the incisions, just sheer concentration. In the end, she had made a little pile of onion cubes.

"Wow." Alma gazed at the pile in amazement. "You did a good job." Had she really perfected it just by seeing a single demonstration?

"Did I?" Kamila beamed. "Yay! Okay, what's next?"

"Oh, er. Garlic. Now where's the press?"

The meal preparation went smoothly. Soon enough, the beef was simmering in the saucepan and water was boiling in the kettle. 

"Now, spaghetti." Alma picked up the packet. "This is pretty easy. You just put the spaghetti in boiling water and boil for..."

"About ten minutes, right?"

"Er, yes, that's right." Alma checked the instructions on the pack. "Let's say eleven minutes." She picked up the whistling kettle and poured the water into the pot. "Have you cooked spaghetti in school before?"

"No, I don't think so." Kamila placed a hand on her cheek. "Hmm. It does kind of feel like I've done this before, but when?"

Alma glanced at her, looking uncertain. "Maybe you helped me in the kitchen when you were little and just don't remember."

"Oh, right, that must be it!" Kamila smiled. She gazed at the steaming bolognese. "Mmm, it smells so good. I can't wait to eat."

"It won't be much longer now." Alma took a handful of spaghetti and placed it in the pot. "You just have to stir it every so often. I'm just going to sit with Dad and Uncle Cabs for a bit. Give me a shout if you need anything."

"Okay, Mom."

Alma left Kamila to it and joined Jowd and Cabanela at the table. She gazed straight ahead with a frown, waiting for them to finish their conversation. 

"Something the matter, baby?"

"Kamila is doing a very good job in there," Alma said, keeping her voice down.

"And that's a problem?" Jowd sounded confused.

"It's not just that she's so skilled at it, she seemed to already know things. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but even she has no idea why she's doing so well. Do you think that Kamila could be remembering things from, well, that time?"

"Ahh." Jowd's expression turned grave. "I see what you mean now."

"Hmm." Cabanela folded his arms, a pensive frown taking shape on his face. "I know I've had some pretty bad dreams that fit with what Jowd told us. Now, I don't know if they were just my subconscious crafting dreams from Jowd's stories or actual memories, but it's possible it's happened to Kamila too. Has that been the case?"

"There were times she woke up in the night from bad dreams, yes," said Jowd.

"Even then, they were just dreams. I wanted to believe that. But this is another thing altogether." Alma bit her bottom lip. "I don't want Kamila to remember the pain and sadness."

"Me neither." Jowd reached out and took her hand, gripping it gently. 

"Well." Cabanela exhaled and leaned back. "It would be a pity if she had to remember, but at least we're all here for her, riiight?"

"Right. She has us." Alma's lips curved into a weak smile. "Maybe I'm just worrying for nothing. If she has to remember anything at all, then I hope it's just the good things."

"Yeah." Jowd smiled at her reassuringly. "I'm sure Kamila will be fine. Don't worry too much."

"Honestly." Alma shook her head, letting out a short laugh. "Look at me, getting all worried just because my daughter can make spaghetti. I probably have Lynne to thank for that, don't I?" Her eyes misted over. "She did a good job with Kamila, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did." Jowd lowered his gaze, a flicker of guilt passing over his face. 

"If I were you, I'd be worrying about what you're going to say when she's ooold enough to realise something's up with the cat."

Jowd and Alma exchanged awkward glances.

"We'll deal with that when the time comes," said Jowd.

"What he said."

"Heh. I doubt it's gonna be long. You've got a smart little girl after all."

"Yes, we do," Alma murmured.

"And we're ever so proud of her."

"Mmm." Alma met Jowd's gaze with a warm smile.


	25. Prickly

The moment she woke, Alma was aware of something resting on her stomach. She opened her eyes to see a tiny heap of black fur. "Oh, Sissel." Her hand extended to stroke his body. "Good morning."

A quick check of the other side of the bed confirmed that Jowd was already up. Maybe he had even left for work already. Alma supposed she should be getting up too, even if it meant having to disturb the cat, so she started to rise, only for Sissel to let out a sharp mew and get up. To her surprise, he was now putting his paws on her chest and meowing loudly.

"Er." Alma lay back down and Sissel proceeded to sit on her chest. "Just what are you playing at?"

Sissel mewed again, his yellow eyes boring into hers.

"It's Jowd, isn't it?" Alma could hear distant clattering sounds. "He's up to something."

Sissel lay down and curled up again. Alma stroked him some more, smiling wryly.

"And you're his accomplice, huh? Fine, I'll stay in bed for now."

Soon, she heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. The door opened to reveal Jowd holding a tray. 

"Well, this is a rare sight." Sissel hopped off Alma's chest, allowing her to sit up. The tantalising smell of eggs and bacon wafted up her nose. "What's the occasion?"

"Do I need an excuse to treat my wife to breakfast in bed?" Jowd set the tray down over her lap. He leaned in to kiss her.

"Hmm, no, I suppose you don't." Alma cupped his face, feeling his prickly hairs rub against her palms. "Thank you, dear. This is a lovely surprise." She kissed him back.

"I felt like treating you. You deserve to have breakfast in bed once in a while."

Alma's gaze roamed over the tray. There was a plate laden with bacon and eggs, another plate with two slices of buttered toast and a glass of orange juice. "Mmm, this looks good." 

"Enjoy." Jowd kissed her forehead. "I have to go into work now. See you later."

"Alright. Take care." Once he was gone, Alma exchanged a glance with Sissel, who was still sitting on the bed and watching her. "He really can be so sweet."

Sissel responded with a short mew, waving his tail.

"Well then. Time to eat." Alma picked up her cutlery and started on the food. Soon, both plates were clean. She drained the last of the orange juice from the glass then set it down, expelling a heavy breath. "Well, that was delicious." With a quick dab of the napkin at her lips, she was done.

"So." Alma reached out to stroke the underside of Sissel's chin, eliciting a purr from the little kitten. "Time to get on with the day."

Sissel mewed and stretched himself out then walked over to the edge of the bed, where he descended to the floor. Alma watched him go with a bemused smile before getting out of bed herself. Even knowing what she did about the cat, his understanding of humans and the way he behaved at times never failed to fascinate her.


	26. Stretch

Cabanela elegantly seated himself on the couch, taking great care not to upset the teacup balanced upon the saucer. He rotated his arm, stretching it up into the air then bringing it back down to pick up the teacup and take a careful sip. A pleasant aroma wafted up his nose. He closed his eyes in contentment, savouring the richness of the tea.

"Ahh. Freshly brewed tea. Nooothing like it, baby."

Cabanela relaxed against the cushions and exhaled. For the moment, he was alone, what with Jowd doing chores outside and Alma having gone shopping with Kamila. As a result, the house was awfully quiet. While peace and quiet was nice to relax in once in a while, he much preferred the noise and bustle when everyone was around. He began humming to himself with his eyes closed, taking occasional sips from the cup.

After a short while, he opened his eyes again and noticed something in the corner of his eye, a fuzzy, black shape. Cabanela turned his head and blanched.

There was Sissel. Not really surprising. The kitten lived here after all.

No, what bothered him was the fact that Sissel was sitting right there on his coat, looking absolutely shameless while he did so.

Sissel looked into his eyes and mewed.

"My coat..." Cabanela looked at the kitten in dismay. Just when had the kitten got up there anyway? He hadn't even noticed.

Sissel stepped forward and put his paws on Cabanela's lap, stretching out the length of his body. He let out another mew, the tip of his tail twitching.

"You've got some nerve alright, touching my coat." Cabanela found he couldn't help smiling. "You keep those claws in, you heeear me?" He set down the saucer and Sissel hopped into his lap.

"You're a frieeendly little guy, aren't you?" Cabanela scratched Sissel's head and then stroked his hand along his back. He continued to stroke Sissel while Sissel kneaded his lap and purred. Sissel then lay down and curled up into a ball.

It was hard to be bothered about the thought of having black hairs all over his coat when the kitten was just so cute, Cabanela had to admit. He kept on stroking him, feeling Sissel's body vibrate from the vigorous purring.

A few minutes later, Jowd came into the room. He immediately noticed the curled up kitten on Cabanela's lap.

"Bonding with the cat, eh?"

"Well, I could haaardly say no to him now, could I?" Cabanela smiled. "Quite the bold little cat you have."

"How so?"

"He was sitting on my coat and showing absolutely no shame whatsoever. The little devil." 

"Hmm?" Jowd's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that. Sissel doesn't shed."

"He doesn't?" Cabanela looked doubtful. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope, so you can relax."

In spite of Jowd's assurances, Cabanela was still picking up his coat and peering intently at it, his eyes raking over every inch of pristine white fabric. "Hmm. I suppose you're telling the truth. Well, that's good neeews then, isn't it?" His face lit up.

"Yes, quite."

"And to think, I was actually wiiishing you'd brought home a white cat instead." Cabanela noticed Sissel raise his head and look at him. "Aw, no offence meant, black cats are peeerfectly fine." He frowned, then looked at Jowd. "Of course he doesn't actually understand me, right?"

"Oh, I don't know." Jowd grinned. "Sissel's a smart cat. If you're not careful what you say around him, you might find things mysteriously moving or turning on around you one day." Chuckling, he walked away.

Cabanela and Sissel both stared in the direction he had gone. When Sissel turned his head back, Cabanela was looking at him with a deeply perplexed expression.

"Was that supposed to be a joke? I swear, I don't understand him sometimes."

Sissel flattened his ears against his skull, responding with an exasperated sounding mew.

"Anyhoot, I'm sure you wouldn't take it out on me if I upset you somehow, right, my little frieeend?" Cabanela placed a hand on Sissel's head.

Sissel mewed and butted his head into the palm of Cabanela's hand.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Theeere's a good kitty." Cabanela rubbed the kitten's head, a fond smile showing on his own face.


	27. Thunder

A brilliant white flash lit up the sky, illuminating the interior of the house for a brief second. The flash was swiftly followed by a thunderous boom. Sissel sat on the sill, watching through the rivulets of water running down the windowpane.

"Quite an impressive storm tonight, with thunder and lightning. That rain's coming down pretty heavily too. I wonder how anyone could sleep through this?" (Hmm, I wonder how the little lady's doing. I should check on her.)

Sissel hurried up the stairs to Kamila's room. The door was slightly ajar so he just had to slip in through the crack. He made his way over to the bed and hopped up. A soft whimper reached his ears. The kitten let out a concerned mew and pawed at the shivering lump.

"Sissel?" Kamila murmured, peering over the top of the the duvet. She reached out and took him in her arms, clutching him to her chest. "I can't sleep. It's so noisy and scary too."

Sissel purred and rubbed his head against her chin, attempting to comfort her. "She's not fond of storms, the poor thing. I wish I could just make that storm go away but no matter how powerful my ghost tricks get, I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to manipulate the weather."

Kamila continued to hold on to Sissel while the storm raged on outside. The white flashes kept coming, followed by the deafening roars of the unrelenting thunder. It didn't seem like she was going to fall asleep for as long as this storm continued to bother her.

There was a creak. "Kamila, are you awake?" A soft voice called out.

"Huh?" Kamila sat up. "Dad?"

"Is the storm keeping you up?" Jowd came into the room and went to sit on the end of the bed.

"Uh huh." Kamila looked over to the window then back at her father, biting down on her lip. "It's kinda scary too."

"Ahh. You never did like storms very much, did you? Do you want to come over to our bed?"

Kamila shook her head.

"No?"

"I'm not a baby anymore," Kamila murmured, lowering her head. "I'm older now and I have to be a tough girl so I shouldn't be going into my parents' bed anymore, right?"

"So that's it, huh? You are a very tough and brave little girl, Kamila." Jowd put a hand on her head. "Mom and I are proud of you. You don't have to worry about coming to us if you need us."

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"You get scared of things sometimes too, right?"

"Oh, of course. Even adults have things they are scared of. There's nothing wrong with that. So, are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah. Anyway, I have Sissel." Kamila looked at her father with a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine."

"Alright then. I'm going to make some cocoa, would you like one?"

"Okay."

"I'll be right back then." Jowd left the room.

Kamila snuggled back down under the duvet. "I kind of did want to go to Mom and Dad's bed," she whispered to the cat, "but that wouldn't be brave. I'm a big girl now."

"What a brave little girl she is, putting up with this storm," Sissel commented. "I'm feeling quite proud of her too."

"I'm glad you're with me, Sissel." Kamila stroked him. There was another flash of light and thunder rolled. "It feels like this storm will never end."

Jowd came back with a steaming mug of cocoa which he set down on the bedside table. "There you go."

"Thank you, Dad." Kamila sat up, reaching for the mug. She blew on the hot liquid then gingerly sipped at it. "Mmm."

"Anything else you need?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Alright then." Jowd kissed her forehead. "Good night."

"Night, Dad."

Kamila drank the rest of the cocoa then lay down, clutching Sissel in her arms. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come. Soon enough, Sissel felt her body relax and heard her breathing even out. 

"Asleep at last. What a relief." Sissel, meanwhile, had no intention of going anywhere. He was perfectly content to stay here with the little lady for as long as she needed him.


	28. Gift

A purple sky tinted with gold hues greeted Jowd as he walked out of the police station. He stopped for a moment to admire the striking view of the sunset. The detective set off again in the direction of the car.

"Waaait!" A familiar voice called out from behind him. Jowd stopped and turned around to see Cabanela spiralling toward him, white coat whipping around his body. Cabanela came to a stop and leaned over to catch his breath. "Phew. Sure glaaad I managed to catch you."

"Er, you are coming over to the house later, aren't you?" Jowd asked with a raised eyebrow. "Did something come up?"

"Oh no, nooothin' like that, baby. What say we take a quick walk, you and me? Alma won't mind if you're home a bit late, will she?"

"Not at all. I'll just tell her it was your fault."

Cabanela let out a short laugh. "Well, I'm suuure she will forgive me. Now then, let us be off." He sauntered away and Jowd followed him.

Their journey took them along a series of roads, Cabanela humming with his hands in his pockets all the while. Jowd kept up the pace, walking steadily alongside him. He didn't ask Cabanela where they were going. It wasn't unlike Cabanela to come up with sudden whims and he was patient enough to indulge them.

They came to a bridge crossing over a river and Cabanela stopped in the middle of it. He stopped and leaned on the railing, gazing out to the horizon. "Now thiiis is a nice spot, isn't it? See how the setting sun looks against the river."

Jowd looked in the same direction. All he saw was a sun and river. He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I guess it would make a good photograph."

Cabanela turned his back to the railing and leaned against it with an exasperated sigh. "Oh, come ooon, baby, I went to all the trouble of showing you this pretty scenery and you're just killing the mood."

"Mood?" Jowd smirked. "I wasn't aware this was a date."

"Hmph, very funny, baby." Cabanela's lips twitched in a sardonic smile. "I just thought I'd find a nice place for this moment between the two of us, and this spot seemed juuust about right." He looked away, turning his gaze up to the sky.

"Hmm." Jowd folded his arms, staring intently at Cabanela. Something was obviously on his mind, but he was having a hard time telling what exactly was up with him. Cabanela could be a puzzling fellow at times. "What's this about?"

"We've been friends for a long time."

"I am aware."

Cabanela looked at him, a flicker of exasperation passing over his features. "You know what, I'll just get straight to the point." Trying something like a heartfelt speech on Jowd of all people was a pointless endeavour. "I wanted to get us something as a symbol of our friendship."

"Oh?"

Cabanela reached into his coat and whipped out a box which he held out to Jowd. Jowd took the box from him and opened it up to reveal two ornate silver bracelets of matching design.

"Huh? Bracelets?" Jowd blinked, looking at Cabanela for an explanation.

"That's right, baby. Frieeendship bracelets, and nice, fancy ones too. I wasn't gonna settle for the cheap braided stuff now."

"I see. So it's one for each of us, then?" Jowd took a bracelet from the box and turned it over, examining it.

"Sure is." Cabanela took the box from Jowd. "So what do you think, baby?"

"Well, this was unexpected. It is a pretty nice bracelet, I'll give you that." Jowd looked at Cabanela with a trace of concern on his features. "This does seem somewhat out of the blue. Was there some particular reason for it?"

"Not at all. Just call it a casual whim."

"If you say so. Well, thank you for the gift." Jowd slipped the bracelet into his pocket. "I don't think it was really necessary to come all the way out here though."

"But... the scenery, the setting..." Cabanela trailed off, shaking his head. He placed his hands on the railing and hunched over, muttering, "Ye gods, what must it have been like for Alma dating him?"

"Did you say something?"

"Oh, nothing, baby." Cabanela whipped around, showing him a wide smile. "Let's be getting back now, shall we?" He started dancing away.

"Hey, Cabanela."

"Hm?" Cabanela stopped, looking back over his shoulder.

Jowd smiled. "I'm glad that we're friends."

"So am I, baby. So am Iii."


	29. Double

"Double shot of espresso please," Lynne mumbled. It took all her energy not to slump over on the counter. She gratefully took the cup that was given to her, handed over the cash, then made her way out of the coffee shop.

"Ahh." Lynne sighed, after taking a sip of the bitter brown liquid. The warmth emanating from the mug seeped through her gloves. "The nectar of the gods." She kept sipping at it, walking along with the crowd of people on the street until she reached the crossing.

While she was standing there, waiting for the light to change, Lynne noticed a fuzzy black shape weaving through people on the street. When she turned her head for a better look, it was already gone. "Huh. Just my imagination?"

Lynne crossed over the road and headed in the direction of the police station. Just as she reached the building, she was startled by a black kitten darting past her legs. This time, she saw the red scarf around its neck.

"Okay, now I'm definitely sure," Lynne muttered, hurrying after the cat. She followed him into the detective division, all the way over to a certain desk.

"Good morning, Detective Jowd." Lynne approached the desk with a cheery smile. She threw a glance at the kitten, who had hopped up onto the detective's desk. "And good morning to you too, Sissel." She received a mew in response.

"Morning, Lynne," Jowd replied. "Stopped to get yourself some coffee on the way, did you?"

"Well yeah, it's so much better than the instant stuff here." Lynne yawned and raised a hand to cover her mouth. "I was working pretty late last night. Being a detective sure is hard work."

"That it is." Jowd turned his gaze toward Sissel. "I see Sissel even came in with you. Sure is unusual of him to come here like this."

"I'm pretty sure I've never seen him in here before." Lynne reached out to scratch Sissel's head. Sissel rubbed his head against her hand, letting out a purr.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't have."

"Well then." Lynne took another gulp of her coffee. "Better get to my desk. I wonder what I'll get to do today. Hopefully something exciting."

"Haha. Life certainly isn't dull in this line of work. I'm sure you'll get some excitement before long."

"Oh yeah, I can't wait." Lynne put on a confident smile. "Those criminals won't know what hit 'em!" She whipped around and walked off with a bounce in her step. 

Jowd looked at the cat again. "So, you've started hanging around Lynne, have you?"

Sissel flicked his tail, giving the detective an even stare. "I just thought I'd check in on her, that's all."

"Uh huh. If you say so. You needn't worry, you know. If she was to somehow die again, Cabanela or I would get you right away."

"Seriously, I wasn't thinking about that at all!" (Okay, maybe the thought did cross my mind...)

Jowd chuckled. "Well, I'm sure it will be fine. Lynne's quite a capable detective. She's got us looking out for her too."

"Yeah. I'm looking forward to seeing where the future takes her."

"So am I."

"Alright then, I won't keep you any longer." Sissel hopped off the desk. "See you later."

"Later, Sissel."


	30. Jolt

"I'm home, Kamila," Alma called out, pushing open the front door. She anticipated an answering call or the sound of footsteps but the only thing to greet her was complete silence.

"Why is it dark?" Kamila should have been at home. She was still too young to be going off by herself and she would never disobey her parents. Fear stirred in her chest as she reached for the light switch. With a click, she banished the darkness. The fan on the ceiling started spinning. Alma blinked, staring at the transformed room. 

Kamila had been up to something, that much was clear. Her eyes followed a falling tennis ball. On the first bounce, it struck one of the glass ornaments, resulting in them playing out a tune. The very last one to fall knocked the spinner, sending it into a spiralling descent. A Cupid figure rose out of a crate and the nearby lighter set the tip of its arrow aflame.

Cupid turned around and let its arrow fly.

The arrow embedded itself in the hat of the doll, lighting the candle on its way. Alma noticed the flame ignite the string dangling from the end of the picture frame on the wall. Her eyes followed the flame as it ran to the gun.

The gun that had its muzzle pointing directly at her.

There was no time to do anything. She could only cover her mouth with a gasp, staring at the gun in wide eyed horror.

She didn't want to die.

Jowd... Kamila... Cabanela...

She didn't want to leave them all behind. She was too young to die! So why? Why did she have to die like this?

It felt like it was taking an eternity. Her feet were frozen to the spot. All she could do was despair over the loss of her life. It was cruel, too cruel. Where was Jowd? Why wasn't he coming in? She wanted him to come and save her from this awful nightmare. 

The sound of the gun going off roared in her ears. 

Alma awoke with a jolt, gasping out. 

A bad dream. Just a dream. Thank goodness. She was well and alive, warm and breathing, lying in bed with her husband right by her side. Alma turned over, looking at his giant form which was just visible in the faint light coming through the curtains. She focused on the sound of his steady breathing. It was a pity that he was still asleep, but what could she do?

Alma didn't much like the idea of leaving the bed when it was so cold, but she longed for a glass of water. She put on her robe and slippers then quietly made her way down to the kitchen. While she was running the tap, she heard a mew. A furry presence brushed against her leg.

"Oh, Sissel. Good... morning?" Alma glanced at the clock, seeing that the time was four a.m. She let out an exasperated sigh. "Just had a bad dream."

Sissel mewed again.

"Well, it's nice to have company." Alma filled a glass and went to sit down. Sissel hopped into her lap and curled up. She stroked him while sipping at her water. How comforting it felt, to have a purring kitten lying in her lap, she thought. "It's a bit lonely isn't it, being awake at night."

Alma drank her water, listening to Sissel purr away. 

"I kind of wish Jowd was awake too, but oh well. At least I've got you." 

When she had finished her water, Alma patted the kitten. "Well, I'm going to go back to bed. It's far too cold to be sitting down here." Sissel got off her lap and she headed back up the stairs. She was just putting up her robe when she heard Jowd's alarm ring shrilly.

Jowd stirred awake, mumbling something incoherent. He fumbled about and slammed his hand down on the alarm clock. "Is it time to wake up already? Sure doesn't feel like it." Yawning, he sat up and looked at the clock. "Wait, hold on..." Jowd picked up the clock. "Sissel, I know you're in there."

Alma came over to the bed. "Something wrong?"

Jowd shook his head. "Blasted cat." He set the clock back down.

"Wait, was that Sissel?" Alma got beneath the covers. "Oh my. He really didn't have to do that. Sure, I was wishing you were awake, but I didn't really want to disturb you."

"Seems our cat had other ideas. So, what's the matter?"

"I had a bad dream."

"Oh. Want to talk about it?"

Alma scooted closer to him and his arms wrapped around her body. She embraced him, pressing her face to his chest and basking in the pleasant feeling of his warm and huge body intertwined with hers. Jowd brought a hand to her head, caressing her soft hair.

"The contraption," Alma whispered. She felt Jowd stiffen. "The one Kamila made for me yesterday. I saw it in my dream and this time, it was just like what you said happened in the other timeline." Just remembering the details was enough to make her shiver violently. "The Cupid turned around and the gun... I could see it pointing at me. It was going to kill me and there was nothing I could do."

Jowd kept quiet, still holding on to her shaking body.

"It felt like I was staring at the gun forever, I couldn't even move out of the way. All I could think about how I was going to leave everyone behind." Alma tightened her arms around him. "It was horrible."

"It's alright," Jowd murmured. "You're alive." He repeated the words, embracing her in an even firmer hug.

They lay back down on the bed, Alma snuggling up to Jowd and resting her head in the crook of his arm. She draped her arm over his chest and closed her eyes with a contented smile on her face.

"Your hugs always make me feel so much better."

"Mm. You know, Alma, you don't have to worry about waking me up after a bad dream. I know I've woken you up coming out of them often enough."

"You get enough interruptions with your job. I hate to disturb your sleep."

"Don't let that hold you back, alright? You need me in the night, just wake me." Jowd kissed her forehead. "Guess I'll have to thank Sissel later. He might be a meddling nuisance sometimes, but this time definitely called for it."

Alma let out a muffled laugh. "Alright, I'll keep it in mind. Now I know how you feel, I guess, with the bad dreams and all."

"Uh huh."

"Anyway, I guess we should try to get back to sleep, huh?" Alma moved in to kiss his lips. "Good night, dear."

"Yeah, goodnight... what's left of it anyway."


	31. Slice

"Okay, say cheese." Alma held up the camera. A resounding "Cheese!" came from the little girl dressed as a witch and the young detective by her side. Both of them smiled brightly as they held onto a bucket each, with an eager Pomeranian standing in front of them. There was a soft click, followed by a bright flash. "Alright, have fun out there."

"We're going to get so much candy, aren't we, Kamila?" Lynne turned to face her.

"Yeah!" Kamila looked up, beaming. "I can't wait to see how much candy we get."

"And we've got Missile with us too. If they don't give us enough candy, we'll just have Missile beg them. Who wouldn't be able to resist him? Look at how cute he is. Alright, Missile, we're counting on you."

"Help us get lots of candy, okay, Missile?"

Missile answered with a bark, wagging his tail. 

Saying their goodbyes, the trio left the house. Alma returned to the table, glancing at the remnants of the pumpkin pie sitting in the center. "Anybody going to have more pie?"

"I suppose I'll have another slice." Jowd cut himself a piece of pie.

"Suuure, why not." Cabanela also helped himself to another slice. "This is so good."

"It is, isn't it? The bakery makes such delicious pumpkin pies." Alma sighed. "Such a pity they only make them around Halloween."

"Quite." Cabanela licked the traces of pumpkin from his fingers. "So, how should we spend this evening? Any iiideas?"

"Hmm." Jowd rubbed his chin. "It is Halloween after all. Maybe there's a scary movie or two on the television."

"Yeah, I sooo want to hear you laugh and make wisecracks at every scary moment."

"Sorry, I guess I'm just pretty desensitized to it all by now." Jowd shrugged. "Like having trick or treaters ringing the bell every ten minutes is any better anyway."

Alma looked at Jowd out the corner of her eye, resting her chin on her hand. "Let me just make this clear again, you are not allowed to play pranks on the trick or treaters."

"I have no idea what you mean." Jowd opened his mouth in a wide smile.

"Turning the lights off, hanging a skull with a torch shining on it and having Sissel open the door to the trick or treaters?" Alma narrowed her eyes. "Those poor children ran away screaming when you did that."

"It's Halloween. It's supposed to be scary."

"We're meant to be givin' the kids candy, not scaaarin' 'em away."

Jowd sighed, looking down. "And I really wanted to try the dead cat prank this year."

Cabanela and Alma exchanged disturbed glances.

"I have no idea what that involves, but no," said Alma.

"Relax." Jowd smiled. "It was just a joke."

"Uh huh." They spoke in unison, looking at him with disbelieving gazes.

"Anyway, it's not like I even know where Sissel is right now." Jowd exhaled and rose from the table. "Well, think I'll see what's on TV anyway."

"What better way to spend the evening than sitting together on the couch, right?" Alma got up and Cabanela followed suit.

They snuggled together on the couch, underneath a cosy blanket, and searched through the selection of movies on television, eventually settling for an old horror movie. Every so often, the doorbell would ring and one of them would go to hand out candy to the trick or treaters.

The killer had another one of his victims cornered and was just about go in for the kill, when the lights went out. As did the television.

Everything had gone dark, and silent.

"Jowd?" Alma whispered.

"Yes, dear?"

"This isn't your doing, is it? Or Sissel's, rather?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Maybe it's a blackout?"

"Why a blackout on tonight of all nights?" Cabanela frowned. "No way that's just a coiiincidence. Something must be up."

"It better come back on soon." Alma pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulder, pressing up against Jowd's warm body.

The TV switched back on. A flurry of snow danced over the screen, accompanied by the crackling sound of static. Everyone jumped.

"Ye gods." Cabanela sweated. "I almost had a heart attack just nooow."

Jowd let out a laugh.

"Jowd," Alma said in an accusing tone.

"I swear, I had no idea. But it's pretty clear who's behind this. At least, I hope it's who I think it is."

"Hmm. Well, I did feel you jump just now, so I guess I believe you." Alma paused. "Hey, do you hear something?"

Jowd picked the remote up and switched off the television. In the silence, they could hear the distant clacking of typewriter keys.

"Just what on earth is he up to?" asked Alma.

"I guess we should go find out. I'll get the flashlight." Jowd left and returned with the item in question.

Everyone followed the sound to the office where the typewriter was. In the beam from the flashlight, they could see the typewriter keys moving and words appearing on the page.

'happpy halloween

thought id try a prank of my own 

did i give you ascare

sissel'

The keys stopped moving. A moment later, a black cat hopped up from under the desk, his yellow eyes flashing in the light. He looked up at them and mewed.

Jowd threw his head back and laughed. "So that's what all this was about. We got a real live haunting for Halloween."

"The cat came up with it all by himself?" Cabanela smiled. "Hmph. Well played, my feline friend. You gave us quiiite a scare."

"Honestly." Alma smiled in exasperation, rubbing the cat's head. "Okay, Sissel, now that you've had your fun, you think you could put the lights back on, please?"

Sissel mewed and leaped off the desk. He walked out of the room and a minute later, the lights came back on.

"There we go," said Jowd. "That was quite a bit of excitement we just had, wasn't it?"

"I can't even be mad." Alma shook her head. "At least Sissel's pranks are in better taste than someone I could name."

"Ah, Halloween. The scares, the tension, the excitement." Cabanela beamed. "Nooothin' like it, baby." 

They returned to the couch and Sissel came to join them, curling up on the couch. The rest of the night went by peacefully, interrupted only by the last few trick or treaters of the night. Lynne, Kamila and Missile eventually returned, bringing with them buckets piled high with candy, the proof of a successful mission.


End file.
